The Loving Language of Childhood: Brazilian Master Paulinho Garcia Teams up with Non-Profit Global Language Project to Encourage Language Learning

The animals that roam children’s imaginations, the moon, the sound of the little creek flowing by. High art and poetic perfection. Earthy tunes. Paulinho Garcia captures these delightful, kid-friendly facets of Brazilian life on Aquarela, the second release on GLP Music, a label dedicated to creating music that encourages language learning. (release date: March 25, 2016)

“I reflected on my youth and thought about what I liked,” explains Garcia. “I went beyond children’s songs and picked out songs I thought children would like, that I would have liked. Most people in Brazil have some similar experiences and there are some common songs that reflect them, some dating back a century.”

Working together with his younger brother Heitor, Garcia crafts light, bright songs that span Brazil’s striking musical culture, from classical pieces by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Vincent Moraes (the composer behind Black Orpheus and the album’s title track), to traditional song-games and folk ditties. Throughout, Garcia focuses on the sounds and shapes of his native language, making Portuguese come alive for listeners.

Garcia fit perfectly into GLP Music’s goals. Garcia moved to the US some years ago, learning English yet working to maintain his family’s command of Portuguese. His clear pronunciation and grasp of the mission meant he knew just how to choose and perform the songs on Aquarela.

“I love that the album was created by a family for families,” says Angela Jackson, founder and president of the Global Language Project, the educational non-profit behind GLP Music. “They chose songs that their mom and grandma sang to them. For Paulinho and for us, it’s about preserving tradition, about sharing the best of those traditions.”

“There’s a lot of variety, and there’s a female vocalist, Silvia Manriques, who helps Paulinho create these amazing harmonies,” enthuses Rex Niswander, the driving A&R force behind GLP. “And importantly, the translations I’ve seen are very appropriate for what we want to do, to give kids a story they can read and understand. It’s evocative stuff, and it will make listeners want to learn.”

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Garcia has had a long and storied career spanning decades. After moving to Chicago from his home region of Belo Horizonte in the late 1970s, Garcia established himself in his new home as a “Chicago treasure” as decribed by the Chicago Tribune, thanks to his effortless, warm jazz performances and tireless teaching. Niswander first met Garcia when Niswander headed Laughing Buddha Records and put out the Brazilian guitarist and singer’s album. He was the first artist Niswander thought of,when Jackson and GLP decided to focus on Portuguese for their next album.

Garcia welcomed the opportunity. At first, he played around with a lot of kid’s songs, but wasn’t satisfied with the result. He wanted to bring a stronger Brazilian vibe to the project. He shifted his approach to embrace the world of childhood, with all its joys, longings, and mysteries.

“Children like to hear about things that attract them, the frogs and the fishes,” reflects Garcia. “They want to hear about tenderness and love, the experience of love from parents, teachers, and friends. That’s what the songs are all about. They are learning, when you talk about love, and that’s the best unselfish love to learn about. That’s the love we dream about.”

The emotional quality and simple, stunning arrangements make these songs endearing and engrossing. Garcia got deep into his chosen pieces, so much so that his feelings influenced his vocal style. “Some of the songs moved me so much, I got so emotional!” notes Garcia. “You can hear some wavering in my voice in the middle of the lullaby,” “Acalanto.”

It’s not simply the musical and emotional aspects that make the album’s tracks shine. It’s the lyrics themselves, shining examples of Brazilian Portuguese’s many registers and feels. “‘Aquarela’, besides being a very beautiful song, has lyrics by one of the greatest Brazilian poets,” Garcia says. “The way he relates the idea with the words that feel like the pinnacle of Portuguese. Something that when I was recording, I was thinking, how can someone say something so perfectly.”

Garcia strove to render the lyrics in all their intensity and playfulness, whatever was most appropriate. For several songs, he tapped Manriques, herself a student of Portuguese who worked for years to master the language. “Her work is flawless,” Garcia says. “When she sings, you can really feel the power of the lyrics. I built the musical vocabulary around that, and made this album not just for children, but for parents.”

“This kind of album does more than attempt to teach some language,” muses Niswander, who discovered Brazilian music as a boy thanks to Joao Gilberto. “Children learn there’s a lot of music in the world. Not just American music or pop music, but a whole world outside their current understanding. Even if they never remember a word of Portuguese, they will keep that understanding for a lifetime and that will change their lives.”