One Take: From Elsie Houston to Carmen Miranda by Iara Rennó

On the Sunday before Stevie Wonder took Los Angeles on a Global Soul journey at the Hollywood Bowl. A different journey was being tracked by a young singer from Brasil in front of Graumanns Chinese Theatre. In one take here unedited, covering the song made famous by songstress Elsie Houston – Iara Renno traced the journey of another young Brasilian of Portuguese descent Carmen Miranda. Iara is a good friend of Mochilla and a third generation singer/songwriter. She looked after us when we went to premiere Timeless in Rio. She has a keen sense of history especially of the twenties and thirties. Her Operatic Ballet based on Macunaíma the famous magical, allegorical novel by ethno-musicologist Mario de Andrade is an inspiring piece. To see her work an unsuspecting crowd on Hollywood Boulevard on Sunday reminds us of the era when CGI and Darth Vader impersonators didn’t exist.

B+

IN MEMORY OF ELSIE HOUSTON
By Iara Renno

eh eh eh
eh eh ah
where is my turtledove
who fled the cage…

Turtledove, a traditional song, was recorded in the 30’s by Elsie Houston. She was the daughter of a father from the U.S and a mother in Rio. She is Carmen Miranda’s contemporary, a friend of Pagu and Mário de Andrade. Elsie was part of this group of artists who invented indigenous Brazilian culture. Today I find myself entranced by their memory and, like them (Carmen and Elsie), somehow I ended up here in ‘Los Angeles’. My mother has the last name Miranda (no relation), and I am the turtledove, whose destiny is to sing and fly around the world.

Ê ê ê
ê ê ah
cadê minha pomba-rola
que fugiu lá do pombal…

Pomba-Rola, canção de domínio público, foi gravada na década de 30 por Elsie Houston. Filha de pai norte-americano e mãe carioca, contemporânea de Carmen Miranda, amiga de Pagu e Mário de Andrade, Elsie fez parte desse grupo de artistas que trouxeram à tona a cultura genuinamente brasileira. Já não é de hoje minha identificação com esse sentimento… é desse mesmo ponto que parto, e, assim como Carmen e Elsie, de algum modo vim parar aqui na ‘América’. Minha mãe tem Miranda no nome, e minha herança é essa memória genética dos passáros, cujo destino é cantar e voar pelo mundo.

tupyqueen.tnb.art.br

Big thanks to Benjamin Tierney for the sound mix.