Toninho Horta is one of the best Brazilian composers, singers and guitarists and he is known for his influence to many musicians in jazz fusion world.
He participated in our interview during his live performances at Sabbath Tokyo in April, 1997.
WH.(Wahei Onuki) I have ever seen your live stage you played with Joyce and Akiko Yano. Do you remember Akiko? TH.(Toninho Horta) Of course. I had great impression of her when I first met with her in a studio in New York. I participated tour of her, that was a tour like a two years and half ago it was nice to have all over Japan. And they had really great time in Japan. I remember one special concert at Kosei-Nenkin Kaikan, there were many people and I was very excited and those people recognized me, I thought I was a special guest! I came to Japan many times before with Astrud Gilberto, but when I came with Akiko Yano, many people in Tokyo had already known about Toninho Horta, that was a great surprise for me. I had really great time she recorded a song of mine called "Diana" with Japanese lyrics, too. That was a special moment I had with her. WH. Your fans in Japan are very glad to see you and long time looking forward to seeing you. TH. Thank you so much! WH. Let's back to questions. How many times have you come to Japan? TH. This is the 10th time. The first time was 1990 Flower Expo in Osaka. Expo Osaka era I came with Trilogia like fusion,Brazilian,jazz,... Steve Sacks on sax from New York City, Tiberio Nascimento guitar from Brazil, and Cyro Baptista great well-known percussion player also from Brazil. The first time, I was a guest of this trio. We played also in Japan, at Pittin Roppongi in 1990. WH. We suppose musicians come from overseas don't have so many things in Japan, such like go shopping, sight seeing,, and so on. They just seem like go back and forth between hotel and stage. Did you enjoy your staying in Japan in the past? TH. Yes, I remember Asakusa, that big beautiful temple. And we went some parks, but I don't remember those names, and of course we went to the Emperor place. That's the problem when we came and make a tour, we go all over Japan, but no time for sight seeing! Only for Shinkan-sen, very fast (we can see) Mt. Fuji very beautiful, but we can't go there. This time is very nice because I stay longer. I'm gonna do a project for Lisa Ono. I'm gonna be featuring her project. This is the first notice! It's a news. And maybe I will stay more longer after finishing here, and we're gonna have time to see more place in Japan. But I love to be in Japanese restaurant after finishing shows and concerts enjoy with friends, and I like to go "Sauna (steam bath)", massage,,. We go to Shinjuku area or Shibuya area tonight to have a dring and have fun. Though we don't have time to enjoy during daytime, so we enjoy nights. WH. Sorry but we missed the person's name. Would you tell me the name of the person you'll produce again? TH. Lisa Ono. I'm gonna be like partner or main personal of new project of her. But I also have another project of mine, I'd like to finish the deal with a good label here for brought from my album called "Tom to Tom" means from Toninho Horta to Antonio Carlos jobim. I'm gonna record some tunes of jobim, and some tunes of mine. And my album should be a kind of Bossa Nova style, with a orchestration of strings and some Brazilian musician, and American musicians, too. WH. I'm living in a town near Asakusa, so please tell me if you go sight seeing around Asakusa. Do you enjoy Japan particularly this time during this tour? TH. I played in a theater in Okayama, a concert last week, and a show in Kobe, but most of shows are in Tokyo, this is the last week. WH. Please introduce your band members for this tour. TH. This time I brought very well-known musician from my home town, his name is Andre Dequech. He's a keyboard player. This time I couldn't bring other members of my band because of their schedule. The next time I will bring a band of bass, drums, flute, percussion, and keyboard from Brazil. WH. Is it usual of your touring, I mean just with a keyboard player? TH. Last time yes. Just one and half month before we two had a concert. After finishing here, he will be going to Europe, to Italy and Spain. And after finishing here, I have to go back to New York to have my album finished. And I will have a project for Lisa Ono there. WH. That's great! We are looking forward to your new project. TH. Thank you. WH. Let's talk about next question. You sometimes play standard Jazz type of music and sometimes play guitar'n vocal style like "Durango Kid". Those two types are quitely different. And also you play instrumental fusion music like "Diamond Land" or "Moon Stone". Every piece is very creative and of course wonderful! At this point, we have a basic question that what kind music is real you? I mean which style is comfortable for you? 
TH.Well, I feel comfortable more in Brazilian style, like Bossa Nova, Brazilian fusion. No matter which electric or acoustic, Brazilian style fits me best. I play jazz and I love jazz, because I have listened jazz for many many years since when I was a kid. I lived in New York the last seven years, but I don't wanna only play jazz because "jazz" is one special word. I can play jazz but that is some Brazilian feeling, not like Be-Bop. (What I play) is more like Brazilian style. But of course I love to play jazz. There are many differences in my albums because all my life, I listened many kind of music such as classical, fork music from Brazil, jazz, Bossa Nova, fusion,, and then always I mixed a little bit and I tried to put every information in my albums. For now, after my album is released in Japan produced by Polidor K.K, we have so many directions, we have many kinds of feelings and rhythms. This was like a show case of many different styles, but "from Tom to Tom" album, new project of mine, I'm gonna focus on Bossa Nova style. That's the style I've learned more and more about acoustic guitar when I was between fifteen and eighteen I got most information from Bossa Nova style. That's the main information for me, like different kind of Samba styles, singing softly like Joao Gilberto or Tom Jobim, and also harmonies, chord progression ,moving of chords. We live in Minas Gerais, there are a log of mountains and people has very intimate personality. I took harmony of Bossa Nova in the change, change in their style that putting more sophisticated scene and I put another inventions on the chords. But I feel comfortable if I play Bossa Nova. Of course I play more Brazilian I have to play more acoustic. And I'd like to play the electric guitar when I play jazz or fusion. |
|
WH. We are regarding you that you have great originality. I think you are a new sound creator! TH. "Domo Arigato!" Many people say that this is because of my personality on harmonies, inventions, conception, arrangement, and also composition. I never wanna write songs like somebody else has already written. I always try to write songs different from songs other people did before. WH. Please introduce personnel of the "From Tom to Tom ". TH. We've gonna have Andre Dequech, he plays acoustic piano and synthesizers. And Yuri Popoff, Yuri is a bass player and he also composes for his band in Brazil. The drummer is Esdra Ferreira, his nickname is "Nenem". He is very well-known, and plays with many many well-known musicians in Brazil. Lena, my sister plays flute. And we're gonna have Armando Marcel, used to play with Pat Metheny, plays percussion. That's the band from Brazil. From the United States, we are gonna have special guests. Willian Galison for harmonica, the musician who played the music of the movie "Bagdad Cafe". WH. This is a question your fans in Japan are long time waiting for, when does your new album be released? TH. I hope in the end of September. But I have to finish the deal with some labels. I hope it will be in September or October this year. WH. Is the recording finished? TH. Not yet. I have to do some half a day basic track recording in New York, and then I have to bring it to Brazil to overdub, and back to New York to mix until at the beginning of August. And then we have to print after this. WH. So many steps! 
TH.Yes, so many steps. I do it in production by myself, but I like it. Because it's not pressure but it's very fun. WH. What kind of music do you plan to record in your new album? Like Brazilian, Bossa-Nova? TH. Mm.., I will record slow-Bossa and medium-Bossa, and song like ballads. I'll make the combination of flute and piano, the same kind of arrangement Carlos jobim did, such as flute, piano and guitar. Or guitar, flute and piano different combination for each song Most songs will be slow or medium tempo Bossa Nova, not so many up tempo ones. WH. Next question is my old question I've been having. "Manuel the Brave" you recorded in your second album was changed its title to "Eternal Youth" in your album "Moon Stone". That is the question why did you change the title of the song? TH. The original name was "Manuel the Brave" and the record was released by Polygram. They suggested to make change because it has very powerful melody. The people suggested that it's better to have more easy name, like "Eternal You". I wrote this song in 1970, 27 years ago. But this song is still now very popular in Brazil. Many people sings this song and record this song. But the name is not important, what is important is music. WH. Pat Metheny has changed his style since he joined to the session in your second album, that means you gave a great impact to him. TH. I think so. He knew about my music before that. Before he came to the studio to record my second album, I brought Pat to my apartment in Rio de Janeiro. When I cooked a fish for him in the kitchen, he was in my room listening to my first album. He listened two or three times, so I think it gave an impact to him. And he joined my second album session in Brazil. He liked songs in the album very much also "Eternal Youth", and of course he did very beautiful solo. Pat is familiar with Brazilian music, such as about Astrud Gilberto of "The Girl from Ipanema", and strongly knows about Flora Purim, about Sergio Mendez, and many. When he came to Boston, Berkeley music school, he met some Brazilian musicians and he found a copy of an album "Clube da Esquina" of Milton Nascimento, the most important album of Miton and it is a double in 1972. I think at the time he got a first big impact of music from Minas Gerais state. Some years later, in 1980, he was in Rio and we met, and since then he gave me a new impact to my music and my albums. He really loves Brazil and he was excited when visiting "Clube da Esquina" saying "Hey! I wanna take a picture of Clube da Esquina!" His big idol of guitarist is Wes Montgomery, same as mine. He likes Bill Evans, Miles Davis, John Coltorane, I love those same guys. We have same direction of music. Of course he was born in the U.S, so he has technique, books, information and instruments of those big musicians available, but I was in another way. But the musical direction is very similar. I love his work so much and I got his influence. Each note of his guitar, I was very surprised when I heard his album first time, it was in the end of 1970s' I think it was a white color album of Pat Metheny Group. And I also surprised at the way of his playing the guitar. I love him so much! WH. Even if I don't see a liner notes of an album, I can easily recognize you from the sound because your sound and play has splendid originality. I think you have given great impact to many musicians. You played the "Across the Universe" of the Beatles in your album. Even that famous song also sounds like your original song. Our question is who are the musicians that gave those kind of impact to you? TH. To me? Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Jorge Ben. The first album of Jorge Ben in Brazil in the 1960s', he played the most strongest sound. Carlos Jobim used to play very soft but Jorge Ben is more black and his blood is more powerful. I heard his album, it's really tight and strong touch on guitar. I love his way of playing so much. Now his name has changed as "Benjor". Many people in Brazil love his music so much. WH. Well, it's not a topic of music but,, in Japanese "Benjo" means a toilet :) So I think it's better to introduce him as "Jorge Ben" in Japan. "Benjor" is not good. TH. Hahaha.. Thank you. WH. Let's get back to interview :) I don't understand Brazilian language but your heart-warming music brings great impression and excitement to me. For example, "Manuel the Brave" makes me encouraged when I'm feeling sad. I feel really warm vibration from your music. I'd like to ask you a question. What kind of message do you put on your music? TH. All kinds of love. All my songs are love songs. Of course I like to play funky songs sometimes. Love song is good because I can keep my youth all the time in my life,, I hope. And I wish the best for everybody to make them happy but I don't want to make music to which everybody is expected to listen, I mean, I don't wanna make easy commercial music to make money. I'm always thinking music, but I never think about money. I always think about music. I was very lucky because there's so many listeners for many years, but it's difficult to survive. But eventualy I got one space in the world. There many people follow me, the way I play, the way I make albums. That's great surprise that I can alive and continue my music. Big motivation is my friends. If I don't have you, or don't have other people who love my music, it should be sad. WH. Including your family? TH. Of course, very important for me. WH. Your fans in Japan are really looking forward seeing you on a live stage in the future, too. Would you promise to have live performances in Japan next year? TH. Oh yeah, of course I promise! I love Japanese people. I have talked with people every place I go. I went to Kobe, Okayama, there were so many beautiful people sent me flowers, gifts, and brought my CDs asking for my sign. One young student, age 16 or 17, was there wearing a T-shirt of a Brazilian soccer team, and asked me to write sign on the shirt. I like to have this kind of feeling that beyond different age and different country. I always have wonderful time in Japan. Maybe I'll come back after recording of Lisa Ono, she invites me in January to play in three Blue Notes, Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo. I'd like to come back to Japan with my own band as soon as I can to play my music for my Japan. WH. Would you give some message to your fans in Japan? TH. Someday I want to make an album only with my Japanese friends. I worked with many people here, like Akiko Yano, Nakanishi who is a beautiful violin player, Takeshi Ito, Lisa Ono, Miyazawa from the group Boom, and Obata the guitar play,, I have great time to play with these players. I'm really interested in making an album with Japanese artists. And I'm glad and I'm happy because Japanese people can listen to my music, and I hope you never forget me. I'll never forget you, too. I promise. Thank you very for happiness for me. | ||
 |
 |
 |
