The Artist Inc II application is finally finished, away, and out of my hands. This is always a beautiful, if slightly nerve-wracking feeling, although it makes little difference; the project has already taken on a life of its own. I am confident that the acceptance or refusal of one grant will not delay or halt our progress. The three of us are far too obsessed with Fado at this point, and we must make this music. If you're interested in a "why," here is mine:
My obsession with the Portuguese language grew out a love of Brazilian music and all other things brasileiro. As part of my artistic method requires cultural understanding, I have been visiting and studying Brazil for the last three years, learning not just its music, but its history and culture. Inevitably, my interest in Brazil lead me to Portugal. To deepen my understanding of the language and people of the Brazil, a country that for me has become nearly a second home, I felt I must understand the relationship and effect that Portugal had on its colonies and particularly the backwash of music and culture that Portugal's colonies had on it. One amazing result of that relationship is Fado (which means "fate,") and exploring it felt like the natural next step.
As
a musician, I find I often need new projects to provide a fresh
perspective on my art and to challenge my instrument in new ways. I
have found in Fado a style of music that suits itself uniquely to my
voice, particularly my range, timbre, and vibrato, allowing me to
develop and emphasize certain vocal characteristics that other genres
do not. The dramatic nature of the music and emotionally-charged
performance style of the fadista utilizes
my background in theater in a more prominent way than many of my
other projects allow.
Additionally, Beau and I have been looking for a project to work on together for years, as have he and Jordan. The common realization of our individual budding obsessions with Fado, and a couple of conveniently-timed deadlines, (AI II and an all-Fado wedding full of honest-to goodness Portuguese – all in the same week) told us that the stars had aligned on this project; it was to be – quite literally – our fate.
Beijos,
Shay
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