(Pic
by Val Bottomley)
If you’re into Latin American rhythms, this
is definitely a show for you. (Review by Barry Meehan)
In my humble opinion, the 1960s was the
decade that produced the best music of all time. Band members were young and
incredibly creative, producing never before heard sounds and rhythms. One of
those innovators was Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 with his unique South
American sound. We didn’t have a clue what the words meant, but we sung along
anyway.
So for those of you who were members of the
sing-along brigade, here are the opening words to their biggest hit, Mas Que Nada:
Oriá
raiô
Obá
obá obá
Oriá
raiô
Obá
obá obá
Mas
que nada
Sai
da minha frente eu quero passar
Pois
o samba está animado
O que
eu quero é sambar
Recognise them? No, I didn’t think so. And
to continue with the lesson, here’s a translation, without the opening lines,
which are apparently untranslateable:
Whatever
Get
out of my way
That
I wanna pass
Because
samba is really exciting
And I
wanna dance [samba]
And just to make the title more confusing,
here’s Wikipedia’s take on it:
Brazilians use Mas que nada (or just que
nada) colloquially to disagree with someone. A fitting English translation
might be a sarcastic "Yeah, right!"
With many recordings, the title song is
incorrectly written Mais que nada
(Portuguese for "more than nothing") which would fundamentally alter
its meaning. Also it should not be confused with the Spanish más que nada,
which means "more than anything", or "above all", and is
used in the sense of "mainly" or "principally".
And thus endeth the lesson, if you’ve read
this far. And so onto the show at Durban’s Rhumbelow Theatre, entitled The Mais Que Nada Show Band. Members
include Johnny Casquinha (lead vocals / guitar); Nicole Couto-Leite (backing
vocals / piano); John Skuy (vocals / bass guitar); Johan van der Merwe
(percussion); Richard Ellis (vocals / percussion); Tony Fisher (vocals / violin
/ mandolin) and Graham Ellis (vocals / guitar) along with newcomer Princess
Dube (vocals, shakers and rhythm).
The eight musos are all accomplished
performers, and obviously enjoy themselves immensely on stage, an enjoyment
shared by an enthusiastic opening night audience. There are many well-known
classics on offer, including a Latin-American styled My Way, Guantanamera, Smooth, Sway, Quando Quando, Volare, Bamboleio, Brazil, Amor Amor
and of course, Mas Que Nada itself.
The first half mainly features vocals from
band leader Johnny Casquinha, with a very good interlude from Princess Dube
with Black Orpheus, a great rendition of Santana’s Smooth by John Skuy, and an outstanding standing drum solo from
Richard Ellis in Gingo Loba, which
brings the first half to an end.
(Richard
Ellis. Pic by Val Bottomley)
The start of the second half sees the band
members coming into their own, with great lead vocals from Graham Ellis in Georgie Porgie, Tony Fisher - Sway, Princess Dube – Sodade/Evora Georgia and for many of us,
the highlight of the show – Richard Ellis stepping forward to sing Georgia, which is an out-and-out blues
number (not sure how it fitted in to the format, but it was great!). Special
mention must also be made of Nicole Couto-Leite’s one-handed piano playing in Bailinho.
After these solos, Johnny Casquinha takes
over again with a succession of numbers that bring the show to its conclusion,
with Mas Que Nada as the finale.
If you’re into Latin American rhythms, this
is definitely a show for you.
Performances take place today (Saturday July
6 at 20h00) and tomorrow (Sunday July 7 at 14h00). The venue opens 90 minutes
before show for picnic dinner.
Tickets R150 (R130 pensioners, students
with a valid student card, R75 under 13s and tables of eight or more). Family
Pack Pricing (R300 for two adults and two children free)
Take along food picnic baskets. Braais will
be available. There is limited secure parking and booking is essential. A cash
bar is available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises). Rhumbelow
Durban is situated at 42 Cunningham Road off Bartle Road in Umbilo.
Booking is through Computicket or contact
Roland on 082 499 8636, email roland@stansell.za.net (also for group booking
discounts of 20 or more) or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com - Barry Meehan
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