Sylvia’s reflections on the songs

Samba pra Vinicius
This composition stimulates the child in me. The music goes up and down, so playful, and it gives the musicians so much inspiration and possibilities to improvise.Eu sei que vou te amar
As I am eager to keep my childishness, this also suits my character! To live out the child in me keeps me young ( I hope) and i’m not ashamed if anybody calls me childlike, the opposite, I feel flattered.

The Copaflat
The Composer of this song, Magnus Lindgren, rented a flat at the Copacabana. It was situated rather high up with a wonderful view and a nice terrace with a pool! I can imagine that the inspiration came like a big wave and this cute, catchy song tells us about Farofa – Brasilian meal, Feijoada- Brasils national dish, Caraca – dude, Carioca- a person living in Rio De Janeiro. Mix this with friends, hot sun, samba and maybe also the national drink Cachasa and you can’t get closer to euphoria.

So danco Samba
To change from one music style into another in the same song is always a thrill. As Brasilian music and Jazz have very much in common we decided to give my version this special mixture. Later I realized that the english title of the song is ”The Jazz and Samba.”

Thats the Way of the World
”A child is born, with a heart of gold, way of the world makes his heart so cold.”
If everybody were raised with love, respect, possibilities to education and a LOT of music, we had no war or terrorists, no hatred or sadism. Important to be able to reach this goal is last but not the least- no religions!

The Girl from Ipanema
This song was absolutely a must for me on this record. After all these years that I have been singing this song on stage it was about time to record a personal version of this lovely lady-girl. One day, Antonio Carlos Jobim – the composer of the song – saw a beautiful young girl walking down to the beach in Rio. Everybody really stopped and stared and this walk became world-famous! Does she know about this?
And don’t you dare, Diana Krall, to sing ”The Boy from Ipanema!!”

”If you don’t follow the rules people think you do a mistake.” A curious remark concerning the arrangement: In the bridge, after the rubato part, we wanted to do a ”pause for effect” – like a deep breath – before the tempo starts. In the cutting room they thought it was a mistake! So they very friendly called us and asked if they could erase this ”mistake”.

The Samba in Me
”Just like a friend from way back to me.”
It all started 1970 in Rio de Janeiro! Since then the Brasilian music is a big part of my life! I breathe easier when I hear a good Brasiian song. But after all these recordings, tours with Brasilian dancers all over the place, musicians playing Pandeiro all night long in the hotel room next to mine, I suddenly wanted to take a break!

Now it’s time again, the inspiration is there, everything is more concentrated on the music, like the magic moments I remember with accordion player Sivuca. Magnus Lindgren’s passion for Brasil has influenced me a lot. He is also the composer of this song. Together with the other musicians he sings along in my special ”samba choir”.

My Acucena
Some people you really never forget, the composer Ivan Lins is one of them!
Ever since I recorded his song ”Comecar de Novo” 1985 in Rio De Janeiro I have been waiting for this moment, to record another pearl. On this record it finally happens and I was given the great pleasure to translate this song. I asked Ivan about the meaning of ”Acucena”. In about 15 minutes came a mail from Brasil with this answer: ”Acucena is a name, both for a woman and a typical flower in Brasil. She has a magical love that could change things and turn them into something good. I‘m still waiting for her…

Moonlight
At first I hesitated a bit concerning this composition because I was looking for something more powerful. But slowly I discovered this delicate way of composing, using small, intimate manners to create a suggestive atmosphere by using chromatic intervals. Efficiency doesn’t always have to be loud and fast! Just think about Bert Kaempfert‘s ”Danke Schön”.
And that I‘m crazy about the moon, I think everybody knows by now.

Eu sei que vou te amar
Quincy Jones once said: ”Only play songs that give you goose-pimples”. This song definitely does!

It touches me so much that I decided to sing it on my wedding. Alex didn’t know anything about my secret plans that I made up with my musicians. So when I started to sing, he was busy with the sound of my microphone and first half trough the song he discovered that I was singing to him. On top of that I started the song 2 bars too early and came in on the bridge instead of the verse after the solo! What do you learn from this? ”NEVER SING ON YOUR OWN WEDDING” however deep your love is!”

Outra Vez
If you fall in love with a song, you don‘t immediately think about rights, rights to translate it into another language. You just go ahead.Then comes the bitter reality! Jobim‘s heirs are not interested in new versions, read ”translations” of his songs. I don‘t know why, but tragically enough, my english lyrics are not to be heard on this album. But luckily enough, I LOVE to sing in portuquese!
Despite of this, we can be grateful that there were times when translations were allowed. Imagine ”Corcovado” without english lyrics!

Time to say Hello
The first time that I met Chico Buarque was in October 1985 in Rio de Janeiro on a football plain. The first song that I recorded from him was in summer 1969 ”Dansa Samba med mig”. ”Samba de Orly” is composed the same year, to portray the nostalgia of exiled politicians and artists who were forced to leave the country for opposing the then military government in Brazil. The reference to Orly is due to the fact that most of the exiles went to Paris, France.The song is still enormously popular in Brazil. Chico Buarque himself has listened to our version, giving his permission to the lyrics and the total interpretation.

The World is Calling
This beautiful song by Magnus Lindgren I first recorded in portuguese. I found it a bit frustrating when Magnus asked me to translate it into english. The reason behind this feeling was that the original lyrics together with the music fitted like a glove!

But ”Oh oh oh, what a little Einstein can do do do!” I get a lot of inspiration walking in my garden, looking up into universe, talking to the trees, listening to the birds. And suddenly -there he was- Mr. Einstein! Immediately I had the lyrics to the start of the song. It all came very smooth and in the same moment as I finished my lyrics I turned around and looked into the living room where the TV was on. I could‘t believe my eyes, there was a picture of Einstein all over the TV-screen!
The reward of this magical situation was that the song ruled the Swedish independent Charts, SNL, for 8 weeks!