Bossa Nova Duo Stella & Hideaki to Give DDC a Taste of Brazil, Apr 29

From dynamic post-rock, to the gritty punk, to dazzling DJing, there’s plenty of eclectic fun to be had in Beijing’s music scene. Despite boasting an abundance of all those options, some genres are sorely lacking in the capital, making the Stella & Hideaki Duo’s forthcoming DDC gig stand out as a rare and unique alternative.

The April 29 show will feature spirited Brazilian songstress Stella Sabbatini – who has performed at her native São Paulo Symphonic Orchestra and starred in Portuguese renditions of Broadway's musicals like Wizard of Oz, Chicago, and Cats, along with working on a slew of Brazilian TV commercials and minor film roles. The Tianjin-based singer will be backed up at DDC by the sultry samba (and more often jazz) strumming of Osaka-born, New York trained guitarist Hideaki Tokunaga. Below, the duo tell us more about themselves and their take on bossa nova.

Tell us about how you first fell in love with bossa nova music.
Stella: I was raised listening to bossa nova, as it is typical in and traditional to Brazil. As a child I already used to sing bossa nova in voice choirs with my mother.

How did you form this duo?
Stella: I was told Hideaki was looking for a Brazilian singer and thought this was a great opportunity to take my music to people in China. Hideaki is very professional, talented, and an amazing person. It is really amazing to work with a musician with his experience and knowledge.

Hideaki, What do you enjoy most about collaborating with Stella?
Hideaki: I really enjoy playing with Stella because it is always challenging to me as an accompanist with unfamiliar harmonies, time signatures, and rhythms. Thanks to her, I started realizing there are many styles of bossa nova, and that some of our music may actually not be recognized as bossa nova in Brazil.

How did you got involved in music, Hideaki?
Hideaki: I was born in a musical family and I was the youngest. When I was born, my dad told my mother not to force me to learn music. I was not the most talented musician in my family, but I was only one who kept playing.

Stella: Oh, wow! I imagined that you were the most talented … [laughs]

Hideaki: After that, I began working as a music teacher. I have California teaching credentials in math and music. After I taught in Los Angeles public schools for five years, I became an international teacher. Tianjin is my third international assignment, and I am a high school math teacher at Teda International School.

And how did you, as a Japanese musician, become drawn to and enthralled with bossa nova?
Hideaki: I had a tour to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with an American jazz band 20 years ago. I can still play and sing the music I learned from this tour. However, the Brazilian music I learned during this tour was taught by a kitchen chef at the club and a cleaning lady at the hotel I stayed. Then I realized that most of all Brazilian can sing these hip tunes. It was a big cultural shock to me.

I bet it’ll be a culture shock for some in the audience at your DDC show. After all, it isn’t very common to see bossa nova gigs at Beijing live houses like that.
Hideaki: Yes, but at the same time I don't think bossa is under appreciated in China, overall. The most famous Chinese bossa nova performer now is a Japanese Brazilian singer, Lisa Ono. She happened be my labelmate, and I am happy to hear her music in cafés here in China. I hope many of Lisa's followers will also have a chance to listen to Stella.

About my bossa knowledge: I can say bossa guitar techniques including harmonies and rhythms belong to my jazz background, but culturally my Brazilian tour with an American band in 1997 had the strongest influence on my take on Brazilian music.

Stella, you also have a pretty strong showbiz background, considering all the work you did onstage and on TV back in Brazil. Which of those prior experiences most informs your bossa nova performances now, and why?
Stella: The experience of being in the big Broadway musicals helped me evolve in many ways, both vocally and personally. This journey was not easy at the beginning, as I joined a team with many years of experience, while I was just starting into this world. But thanks to that, I’ve learnt new vocal techniques and how to use it properly.

Lastly, Stella, how did you end up in Tianjin, and what do you enjoy about working as a musician in China?
Stella: China is a country of artistic opportunities. The Chinese culture is very open for music and art, which made me feel comfortable and confident to come to Tianjin and work with what I love. I confess I was expecting much less than China offered me, but every new presentation is a new great surprise! I can only thank China and the Chinese people for receiving me with arms wide open. It's priceless!

Stella & Hideaki Duo will perform at DDC on April 29 at 3pm. Tickets are RMB 40 presale, RMB 50 at the door. For more information, click here or check out the poster below.

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Email: kylemullin@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Stella & Hideaki