Isagra Naglia

This one was for June 21st, but was busy with travels, so I put a little extra love into this volume since I was slightly delayed. For my friends of this page. You know who you are!
Quick question? Does anyone find studying this form of musics from South America slightly mythic? I sometimes feel as I study this music much the same way as if were studying Greek or Roman mythology. Anyone have similar findings?


St. Julian Samba Showdown 29 by J Thyme (2011

01. Caminho Livre - Ana Maria E Mauricio (1972)
02. Tristeza De Uma Embolada - João Bosco (1973)
03. Rosa Da Gente - Claudette Soares (1969)
04. Beco Sem Saída - Silvio Cesar (1971)
05. O Meu Amor Tem Preço - Dona Ivone Lara (1979)
06. Coração Leviano - Paulinho da Viola (1978)
07. Você Não Tá Com Nada - Marlene (1972)
08. Partido Do Lê Lê Lê - Elza Soares (1974)
09. Ave Maria Do Salgueiro - Os Originais Do Samba (1977)
10. Bandeira 2 - Marilia Pera (1972)
11. O Que E Que Houve - O Som Livre (1971)
12. Bahia Comigo - Paulo Diniz (1973)
13. Eu Sou Mais Eu - Ana Mazzotti (1974)
14. Roça Errada - Antonio Carlos e Jocafi (1980)
15. Um Tem P'ro Simon - Johnny Alf (1974)
16. Doce Veneno - Os Magnatas Do Samba (1971)
17. A Noite É Uma Criança - Os 3 Morais (1975)
18. Palavras Perdidas - Maysa (1972)
19. Se é questão de adeus, até logo - Dóris Monteiro (1973)
20. Tudo Está No Seu Lugar - Benito Di Paula (1976)
21. Maria da Pá-Virada - Jackson do Pandeiro (1970)
22. Na Baixa Do Sapateiro - Wando (1975)
23. Pisa No Tabuado - Abaetê (1977)
24. Ta Hi Alo Alo - Brasilian Singers (1974)
25. Hoje Não - Jorginho Pessanha (1971)

A few words about this volume. Caminho Livre by Ana Maria E Mauricio is noteworthy for the super-lovely flute work. Listen to the clarity of recording on the flute. Nice trilling at the end of the song with some additional scatting by the flute player. Sweet!
Track two by João Bosco is amazingly handled by arranger Rogério Duprat. This track is so major. A moment when classical ideas are merging with popular modern folk forms creating a new type of "Modernist Pop". The combination of RCA Victor on the science end of things & Rogério Duprat's trippy classical framing bring a whole new mythic quality to the language that would become MPB. Listen to the special care given to the Surdo. RCA Victor deserves gold stars for their ideas on FIDELITY. The bass register is so masterful. Grounded, full & expertly played & recorded. Fidelity is depth, width & breadth of a sound. The handling of the Surdo here is faithful to the concept of fidelity!!! The song starts like a cloudy day with promises of storm & when the choral singers emerge it is as if the sun shines again. "Baroque Samba" is what I'm left with after studying this song.
Track 3 Rosa Da Gente by Claudette Soares from 1969 is another example of perfectly selling a song. There's another version of this song on the "Coisas Do Mundo" LP by Nara Leão, also from 1969. Of the two, Claudette's version wins me over by the crispness of the arrangement. This is a lovely Marching song. When I think of the "Marches" transformed from their humble roots as military music & morphing into something as light hearted as this type of "March" I just marvel at the genius of it. I adore her voice & Claudette's reading is simply perfect & inspired. Love the counter-point flutes here as well.
Short break...be back with more insights shortly...

Hey everyone. Just a quickie to say hello to my page & you. An early one from Orlandivo on the Musidisc label. 1962 is the first wave of Brasilian goodies lapping upon foreign shores. Let's see what all the fuss about this Bossa-Nova Madness is all about? A nice early Bossa spinner. My fav here is track three "Samba Toff". Enjoy!

So, my friend Keith married this woman, Leslie, who is way super awesome and she commissioned me to do a piece for her husband a little while ago. I think I missed the Christmas and birthday deadlines and she was like, "Um...could you maybe get this done for Father's Day?" and amazingly it happened. The concept ideas for this piece were wide and varied ranging from kids in indian costumes to outer space. I chose to go for the outer space option. This is Keith saving his wife and child from an alien attack.

Well, I guess technically Keith, Leslie and Milton are the aliens on this forgotten planet, but still, they don't need to be dragged about in such a way!

Sometimes I think that people are sick of my paper cuts and they're like, "Cindy, paper cut, paper cut, paper cut...don't you do anything else besides paper cut?" And sometimes, really, that's pretty much all I do. So I feel like people might not want one, but when I receive gifts from people that they made, I generally like them. I like them a lot. So it was my friend Elin's birthday today and I asked her what animals she liked or what fairy tale and she said she liked woodland creatures, particularly owls, squirrels and deer. So I made her a little papercut based on those things. And in giving to her, I also give to you. Enjoy!
Download your template in pdf format here: Woodsy

Happy full moon.
Happy Birthday to me and you too, since you get the same present as me. I'm happy with it and I hope you are too? I adore Música Popular Brasileira. In this volume I pay a little extra attention to the style called Forró. I really start to really fall in love with this country style that filters it's way into the musical landscape of the Brasilian sound. There are certain sounds that I associate with this style. The acoustic guitars, the accordians and the triangle.
All I can say about this volume for now is, that when you love something it does love you back.
I feel all the love I give to this series come back to me instantly! Let's see if you feel that love too. Thank you to all of you out there who have followed me this far. You're real bunch of Sambistas & Forró-heads. As always, ENJOY!

St. Julian Samba Showdown 28 by J Thyme (2011)

01. Bom Dia, Portela - Elza Soares (1974)
02. Tudo Sobre Eva - Péricles Cavalcanti (1991)
03. Aldeia Global - Burnier & Cartier (1974)
04. Baby - Quinteto Ternura (1974)
05. Contra-Veneno - Antônio Carlos & Jocafi (1975)
06. O Namoro De Maria - Maria Creuza (1976)
07. Brinde Ao Cansaço - Candeia (1975)
08. Contrariedade - Os Originais Do Samba (1977)
09. Sabiá Marrom - Alcione (1980)
10. Canto Da Ema - Jackson do Pandeiro (1970)
11. Forró - Baiano & Os Novos Caetanos (1975)
12. Menino Da Lera - Nonato E Seu Conjunto (1978)
13. Chuculatera - Luiz Gonzaga (1971)
14. Minha Viola - Téca & Ricardo (1978)
15. Enganadora - João Nogueira (1979)
16. Alì Fevereiro - Dóris Monteiro (1972)
17. Meu consolo é a viola - Os Magnatas Do Samba (1971)
18. Dono De Casa Boa Noite - Djalma Dias (1974)
19. Porta Aberta - Brasilian Singers (1974)
20. Batuque Na Cozinha - Martinho Da Vila (1972)
21. Sentimentos - Paulinho Da Viola (1973)
22. As Mariposas - Adoniran Barbosa (1974)
23. Não Entendi Bulufas - Gordurinha (1962)
24. Foi No Carnaval - Zuzuca (1972)
25. Há Quem Diga - Jorginho Pessanha (1971)

P.S. I really want to highlight that track 3 by Burnier & Cartier. This is one of the finest examples of Brasilian Basswork. Listen to the umph on the Bass. Up front for a supporting instrument. Not just upfront, but beautifully recorded electric bass. Lovely pluckings from this player and masterfully recorded by the fucking genius's over at RCA Victor. This is that allusive "11" that they go on about in "This Is Spinal Tap". After hearing this track, this is way I want to hear the bass recorded! BOLD! VIGOROUS! LIVELY! BASS TEMPO!
One last tally for all 28 volumes = 676 tracks. Those of you who have listened thus far have the appetite of a scholar. I know, I'm one.

We've got this little intern at our work, her name is Montana, and the other day she said, "You need to make me a papercut." Generally I don't succumb to demands like that and need a little bit more sweet-talking but since she was so blunt about it, I was a little taken aback. "What do you want?" I heard myself say. "A fairy. A fairy blowing on one of those puff things." I don't know if she actually said a puff thing, but that's what I heard. I made a different fairy a while back, more of an Arthur Rackham fairy, but changed it this week. I like this fairy better. Not to say that Arthur Rackham fairies are bad, because they aren't, they are beautiful. So anyway, I used to draw fairies a lot when I was a teenager, but my college professors shamed it out of me, so this is a nice "poo on you" to them.

Download your free papercutting template here: Fairy

I had a busy weekend this last week. It was filled with wonderful, fun things. Sometimes things don't turn out like you want them to though. That was the inspiration for this cut, the beauties of life being the fragile bubbles and the popped one the disappointments. But just because there are disappointments doesn't mean you should stop blowing bubbles.

Here's what the template will look like. The thin lines are tricky. On the loopy parts, cut the insides out first and then cut out the line. Cut from left to right, unless you're left handed. Also, I find it best to cut the intersecting parts, like the part where the lines meet the bubbles, going from the corners out.

Here's the free papercut template: Bubbles