As Marianas

Another Hermeto Pascoal gem

Most people usually think of Hermeto Pascoal as an iconoclast musical genius, which he totally is, but when you see and hear Hermeto from this angle it’s easy to miss his lyrical side. Hermeto is a fantastic melodist, and he can extract deep emotional colors from his pairing of melody and harmony.

Hermeto’s mother, Dona Divina, is at the center of this picture taken in Lagoa da Canoa, Alagoas, in 1985. Photo by Jovino Santos Neto

Case in point: As Marianas, a beautiful toada which he recorded on his very first album, Hermeto! from 1970. Hermeto says this composition is based on his memories as a child, when his mother Dona Divina would take him to church in the village of Lagoa da Canoa, deep in the hinterlands of Alagoas state, where he was born. The local women (The Marianas) would often gather inside the church and sing hymns in honor of the Virgin Mary. Hermeto told me that he would be afraid of going inside, and would often sit outside, listening to their voices coming through the church walls. On his first recording, Hermeto arranged this gorgeous composition for orchestra. Here is the recording from 1970:

I am often puzzled why more artists did not record this sweet song. It’s such a beautiful melody with a simple and deep harmony.

When I was teaching at Cornish College I taught this song to my students in 2019. Here is a recording of my ensemble, with 2 vocalists (Rebekah Lovitt and Allison Gimenez), piano (Max), bass (Martin Budde) and drums (Noah). I am playing flute:

I hope more folks will be interested in playing Hermeto’s music. Meanwhile, enjoy this gorgeous song!

Obrigado,

Jovino