Adelaide International Guitar Festival

Paulo Bellinati and Weber Lopes, with Cary Lewincamp – Adelaide International Guitar Festival 2012

Presented by Adelaide International Guitar Festival and the Adelaide Festival Centre
Reviewed Saturday 11th August 2012

This concert began with a set from Tasmanian guitarist and composer, Cary Lewincamp, who draws inspiration for his music from the people and things around him. These ranged between some that were strongly melodic and others that were more atmospheric, with small motifs that evolved and transformed. There were loose, often indefinable structures to his pieces and a feeling that they are mostly through composed. He is a gentle man with a gentle style of playing and his work proved popular with many of the audience. Although I found them pleasant enough and well played, his pieces were rather light weight and more along the lines of ‘easy listening’ music, something that would serve nicely as background music. It reminded me a little of what was referred to as the “new age music” that was recorded by the likes of Windham Hill Records, performed by bands such as Shadowfax, with composer/musicianss such as William Ackerman, who founded that recording label, and Mark Isham.

Not so with the compositions of Paulo Bellinati and Weber Lopes, some written individually and some in collaboration. They brought the sound and feel of the Brazilian Samba into the Dunstan Playhouse in a rich and exciting collection of music, played with great skill and exhibiting their love of this music and of performing. The audience responded accordingly, with lots of applause and cheering after each number. The South American guitarists who visited last year were immensely popular and had people talking excitedly, and these two continued that trend.

Clearly, the concert music, based on the music for the dances of the different countries of that continent, have the same universal appeal that European dance music had when Renaissance, Baroque and Classical composers reinterpreted it into suites of dance music, no longer intended for dancing, but for listening. That is precisely what these two gifted composers and guitarists gave us and the audience lapped up every note of it.

The complex rhythms of the original dances, in this case mainly Sambas, for which Brazil is renowned, are maintained, and extended. There is also a unique approach to chords and progressions and those fascinating with melody lines that do not go where you expect them to, leading you off on interesting side journeys before finding their way back. This music is captivating, particularly when performed by such remarkable guitarists who, being the composers, know exactly how they want it to be played.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable concert and, judging by the final applause, there would not have been a person in the audience who would disagree.

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Arts Editor, Glam Adelaide.

Guitar Festival web site

Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre, King William Road, Adelaide
Season: One performance only
Duration: 2hrs 10mins incl interval (advertised time 2hrs)

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