Bau Duo no. 2

Berimbau Duo no. 2 “Naná” is dedicated to the great Naná Vasconcelos (1944-2016), a pioneer of the berimbau and the principal source of inspiration for everything that Arcomusical represents and strives to achieve.

In the summer of 2008, I made a trip to Recife specifically to spend time with Naná. During our visit I had the opportunity to show him all of the transcriptions I had made of his music as well as some of the musical works I had already written at that time (e.g. Bahian Counterpoint, Vou-me embora). He was very encouraging and offered a simple challenge. Why not try framing this harmonic/melodic approach to the berimbau in odd time signatures? I recall writing the preliminary sketches for this duo upon receipt of that suggestion. It took another eight years for me to cycle back to the sketch and transform it into a duo. Arcomusical Brasil member, Rafael Matos and I gave the work its premiere on November 13th, 2015, as part of the closing concert of a Berimbau Symposium I offered at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte. – Gregory Beyer