#32

Letuce: a band of two

From a simple crush to revelation of the indie scene, the band Letuce distinguishes for its boldness sound and for it's relationship with love: to music. 

Do you know those bands formed by passionate couples? Well, those normally are more intense, more intimate, and as a consequence of the carnal relation,more solid in its concept- despite that almost every band, in its ideal of their love to music, also ends up experiencing relationships (with or without sex). The band Letuce, formed by Letícia Novaes and Lucas Vasconcelos, serves as an example to the cited question and also exemplify how passion can influence the process of musical creation. "Exactly, I don't see anyone asking a guy who plays with his guy friends anywhere. So, Samuel Rosa, if you fight with Lelo, it's the end of your band?" And that's love: love, carnal, sexual, fraternal. Everything is love, everything with its own dynamic. We are lucky to fell in love by those who fall in love with you. We make music together and, so far, so good", states Leticia.

Since the beginning of their fling and first album ,“Plano Para Cima dos Outros e Para Cima de Mim” (2009), until the release of their just released second album, “Manja Perene" (2012), the band gained recognition, maturity and is no longer a passionate musical joke, today with all its merit and well-deserved highlight in the alternative scene. "On our first album, we composed together, we were in a very passionate and curious state of mind. Nowadays, after 5 years and half together, we have a different life, so our compositions are other also. The earth spins, changes, but continues Earth. Our love has change, but it's still love. In our second album, for example, we counted with the help of a bass and a drum player in the creative process and the result was wonderful. Living in a bubble only makes sense in the initial stage (almost insane) of passion," quips the feminine side of Letuce, who also completes: "To have friends is wonderful and talented friends always add new values." 

Different from its first album, more intimate and restrained, the second album "Manja Perene" (Bolacha), produced by Lucas Vasconcellos e Bernardo Pauleira, it's more daring and consistent in its proposals, beyond its originality- something not very common around here. The album, is surprising in each track and also within its songs. The variations, mismatches, melodies are the pillars of work who's not scared of failure, neither the pretension of being "gold", and that's why it caught our attention. Another discovery in this album, is that Lucas shows incredible talent for singing in two tracks, , “Areia Fina” e “Anatomia Sexual” - a song that born from a poem written on napkin by Fábio Lima. “Our sound is what we know, is what comes up. We seek a new sound, and that's why it's difficult to classify. Nowadays, everything is everything, Gal Costa, for example is doing eletronic music. And that's wonderful. There is the change of trying everything, being free for good and worse, of course. And it's good that people going our vibe" says the singer. 

Besides the differentiated sound, "Manja Perene" still calls the attention for another reason: its financing process, through crowd-funding. Imagine an artist to be able to receive a direct investment from its fans to elaborate their new work, without knowing what will be, but trusting in the creation capacity and the success of the project. So that was basically what went on with Letuce's second album. "Soon, crowdfunding will not be seen as a "new method" or an "alternative method", and in fact as a possible method. We were happy with the collaboration of the fans which we are extremely gratefull, describes Leticia who refuses to accept the label "alternative" by saying "Alternative Band" is complicated, because everything is alternative compared to the big market. There is the big market, and everything else is alternative be it rock, forro, mpb, us", completes the singer.

Letuce
www.letuce.com.br

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#31

Terezão: back to stardom

After several years in the dark, the theater Tereza Rachel, totally rebuilt, reopens its doors with a new name, but without losing sight of its history. 

One of the main carioca references around the globe, Copabacana highlights for its beaches, and its high concentration of people and bars. But this warming mix, that makes everyone happy, ends up by occulting other cultural attractions, very characteristic of the neighborhood in fact - the case of the good old theater. There are a few houses still surviving, and maintaining a good agenda, or even simple. Villa Lobos (which will reopen in 2014), Baden Powell, Brigitte Blair, Glaúcio Gill, Espaço Sesc and Café Arena are some of the examples of how the region is still lacking a bigger theater. However, the traditional Tereza Rachel (located in the second floor of the shopping R. Siqueira Campos, 143), which was rented to an evangelic church from 2001 to 2008, reopens to the public on the 07/04.

In contrast with what happened to Modern Sound, closed to give space to a enormous clothing retail store, and followed by the monopoly of Cine Roxy, the only cinema of Copacabana- at least until the debut of the Image and Sound Museum, Tereza Rachel comes back with some huge changes. In this case, the change is so big, that even the name changed: from Tereza Rachel (picture below), name of the actress and owner, to Theatro Net Rio. Through the call of ICMS law, a financing method of cultural activities, tax break, and direct investment, the internet company will sponsor the overturn of the space, which will display more than a room. Besides, the room Terezão (Room Tereza Rachel), a space with capacity for 789 people, Net Rio Theater will still count with a room of 200 seats, named Paulo Pontes, a tribute to the dramaturgist co-author of the play  Gota d’Água, also signed by Chico Buarque. 

“During the 70s and 80s, I used to come constantly to Rio de Janeiro, to accompany the setting of the  Group Ornitorrinco (from Cacá Rosset). At this time, everything was concentrated in Copacabana, and theater itself was experiencing a golden era, with filled rooms and many extra sessions. It was the true golden age, to Villa Lobos theater, and also to Tereza Rachel, where I did the ilumination of the show Chorus Line, from Michael Bennett, which set the debut of actress Cláudia Raia on stages”, states the light designer/technician Abel Kopanski, a true master of light. Opened in October 1971 with a Gal Costa Show (“Fa-Tal - Gal a Todo Vapor”) and setting of many others (Novos Baianos, Luiz Gonzaga, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil), Terezão seemed to have lost its path in history and have lost its past relevance. In the last years, for example, the space was being used to rehearsals and auditions of the musicals of Charles Möeller & Cláudio Botelho.

After having received many proposals from Sesc and city hall, the actress Tereza Rachel, even pressured by debts, wouldn't let go of its theater. However, after a year of negotiations, she ended  being convinced to rent the space, and curiously just for a period of ten years. The responsible for this plan is the actor and cultural producer Frederico Reder, who described the mission as not an easy one, and insists on saying that the renew of the lease contract is a priority without revealing any numbers. “I couldn't ignore the history of this theater. The gods wouldn't forgive me. The profile of the agenda, from monday to monday, will follow the same profile that the theater used to have back in the days, with a focus on diversity and freedom of speech. Those elements are the main characteristics of Copacabana. I think the theater can be the seed for the revitalization of the neighborhood, states Reder, partner of Brainstorming Entertainment, in an interview to "Globo" newspaper. For those who are curious to know the new looks of Terezão, the theater is now presenting,"Bibi", a musical show who celebrates the 90 years and 70 years of career of actress Bibi Ferreira (photo). After the 10/04, the show “Isto É Brasil”, with Carlinhos de Jesus and Ana Botafogo, is also in the schedule of Net Rio. Oh well, plenty of reasons to go visit! 

Agenda of the theater: http://www.theatronetrio.com.br/

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