A cultural project aimed to study the work of the Brazilian singer-songwriter Itamar Assumpção (1949-2003) and to perform the concert "Rei da Cocada Preta" (an expression similar to "ruler of the roost" in English), featuring Marcelo Del Rio and the musical group, "Os Empenhados" ("The Committed") consisting of young Brazilian musicians.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The project was conceived by Marcelo Del Rio and his son, the musician Pedro Del Rio, aiming to gather young musicians to study the artistic language of Itamar Assumpção and to promote the concert "Rei da Cocada Preta" to tell the story of the composer and to spread the word about his outstanding work.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECT
The project allows the public to know Itamar Assumpção's work, which is based on a complex style of composition, appreciation of music and poetry, different rhythmic patterns, social criticism and themes that lead to reflection.
Many songs and writings created by Assumpção have a great cultural value, like those of other great composers of Brazilian music.
However, the composer did not achieve commercial success or popularity because he refused to follow the standards imposed by the popular music industry.
The first performance of the group - September 13, 2015 - photo by Lilian Alves
THE CONCERT
The concert "Rei da Cocada Preta" is produced by INDEPENDENTLY Productions, directed and performed by Marcelo Del Rio, and accompanied by the musical group "Os Empenhados".
In the program, which includes Itamar Assumpção’s songs performed in Portuguese and German, poetry, theatrical performance and multimedia resources, Del Rio talks about Assumpção’s biography, discography, and his experiences in countries like Germany.
The musical arrangements, which are discussed in the meetings with the musicians, were created exclusively for the concert by Del Rio and his son, Pedro, and includes drum kit, bass, acoustic guitar and electric guitar. Pedro Del Rio is the musical director of the concert.
The scenery, costumes and communication material of the concert were inspired on drawings created by Itamar Assumpção.
The show has been performed in Brazil in theaters, schools auditoriums and other cultural places. It was performed in October 2017 at the "BrooklinFest", a traditional festival of German culture in Brazil, annually held in a neighborhood of Sao Paulo called Brooklin.
Marcelo Del Rio at XXIII BrooklinFest - photo by Edson Henrique
The Concert at Virada Cultural 2020 SP
The group were invited by MU.ITA (Itamar Assumpção Museum) to perform the concert "Rei da Cocada Preta" at the Martins Pena theater, in São Paulo, on December 12, at Virada Cultural SP 2020.
Although there was no audience, the concert was broadcast live by Centro Cultural Penha.
The group and the production team of the concert at Virada Cultural 2020 - Photo by MU.ITA
In Deutscher Sprache - Wer hätte das gedacht?
In Deutscher Sprache - Wer hätte das gedacht?, or translated into Portuguese: : Em Alemão - Quem diria?, is the first EP (Extended play) by Marcelo Del Rio and Os Empenhados.
Produced in 2019, the EP contains five songs by the composer Itamar Assumpção, sung in German, with lyrics translated by Heike Dietz.
It was released on September 13, 2020, on Independently Records (SP - Brazil), in EPdrive format and on digital platforms.
Track listing:
1 - Sexto Sentido (Sechster Sinn) - Itamar Assumpção and Ricardo Guará
2 - Ouça-me (Hör' mir zu) - Itamar Assumpção and Alice Ruiz
3 - Pesquisa de Mercado I (Marktforschung I) - Itamar Assumpção
4 - Oferenda (Geschenk) - Itamar Assumpção
5 - Ich Liebe Dich - Itamar Assumpção and Zé du Rock
The EP contains audio tracks, space for storing personal files, the music video for the song "Hör'mir zu", texts and images.
In Deutscher Sprache - Wer hätte das gedacht? - EPdrive by Marcelo Del Rio and Os Empenhados - Photo by Renato Grieco
EPvideo "In Deutscher Sprache" (Full Album)
The official video clip "A SENHA É VENHA QUE EU SOU DA PENHA", featuring Marcelo Del Rio and "Os Empenhados"
The official video clip "HÖR MIR ZU (OUÇA-ME)", featuring Marcelo Del Rio and "Os Empenhados"
Listen to the EP "In Deutscher Sprache" on Spotify:
ITAMAR ASSUMPÇÃO
Itamar Assumpção was a Brazilian singer-songwriter born on September 13, 1949 in Tietê, a city in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. As a teenager, he moved to the southern area of Brazil, where he learned to play acoustic guitar and to compose songs. Assumpção was a self-taught musician.
At age 20, Assumpção decided to live in the city of São Paulo, where he created songs, poetry, drawings, books, and writings until his death on June 12, 2003, from cancer, at 53.
In his 30 years of artistic career, Assumpção produced nine studio albums, more than 300 songs and innumerous texts of various subjects. He performed in many Brazilian cities and in other countries such as France, Holland, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
Itamar Assumpção visited Germany three times. The first time was in 1988 for Documenta de Kassel, celebrating 100 years of abolition of slavery in Brazil. Germans readily accepted his music. Two of his albums were reissued in Germany and he performed in the cities of Stuttgart, Nuremberg, Hamburg, Göttingen, Tübingen, Bremen and Berlin. Due to this connection, Assumpção incorporated a little of German culture into his work.
Assumpção was a pioneer of independent music in Brazil and his work was not known to many people as he chose to become an independent artist. However, he is a singular figure of the Brazilian culture and many of his songs have been recorded by well-known Brazilian singers such as Cássia Eller, Ney Matogrosso and Zélia Duncan.
DISCOGRAPHY AND TRIBUTES:
1980 - Beleléu Leléu Eu ("Beleléu, Police Bait")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IENJvrL54ks
1983 - Às Próprias Custas S/A ("At One’s Own Expense, Inc.")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4HmcwOTwM4
1985 - Sampa Midnight - Isso Não Vai Ficar Assim ("São Paulo at Midnight")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-vmlifcmVM
1988 - 'Intercontinental'! Quem Diria! Era Só o que Faltava!!! ("Intercontinental! Who would say that?”)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O7MaznFdo8
1993 - Bicho de Sete Cabeças ("Seven-headed Beast") (Volumes 1, 2 and 3) - In 1994, Assumpção was awarded "Prêmio Sharp de Música" (Sharp Music Award) in Pop Rock category as the best record of the year, for Volume one of this album.
Volume 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH-sDrJXMqs
1995 - Ataulfo Alves por Itamar Assumpção - Pra Sempre Agora ("Itamar Assumpção sings Ataulfo Alves") - Dedicated to the old-time singer Ataulfo Alves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwtCIErOcuY
1998 - Pretobrás ("Black Brazil") - The last album released by Assumpção.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JXwpA48OzU
2004 - Isso Vai Dar Repercussão ("That Will Have Repercussions") - Posthumous album with Itamar Assumpção's songs, featuring the instrumentalist musician Naná Vasconcelos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaV8enVCBHU
2010 - Caixa Preta ("The Black Box") - A box containing all Itamar Assumpção’s musical work, including remastered editions of his songs and two albums produced by SESC, a Brazilian record label, with recordings of voices and guitar made by Assumpção.
2019 – In celebration of Itamar Assumpção's 70th anniversary, his first two albums Beleléu, Leléu, Eu (1980) and Às Próprias Custas S.A. (1983), are remastered and released on vinyl.
2020 - The streaming platforms begin to play all of Itamar Assumpção's songs.
2020 - The MU.ITA is inaugurated, a virtual museum with all the composer's work.
https://www.itamarassumpcao.com.br
2021 - Opening of the 'Afro Brasileiro Puro' Exhibition with documents, images, videos, costumes and objects by Itamar Assumpção, at Centro Cultural Penha.
2021 - A statue of Itamar Assumpção, made by the artist Leandro Junior, is inaugurated in the Penha neighborhood.
ALBUMS REISSUED IN GERMANY:
1988 - 'Intercontinental'! Quem Diria! Era Só o que Faltava!!! ("Intercontinental! Who would say that?")
1990 - Sampa Midnight - Isso Não Vai Ficar Assim ("São Paulo at Midnight")
Albums produced by German record label Mesidor Musik GMBH.
BOOKS:
2002 - Humanidade no Patrimônio Urbano no Brasil - Um olhar de Antônio Peticov ("The World Heritage in Brazil's Urban Legacy, A View by Antônio Peticov") - Book produced by the company Leide Moreira; curatorship, drawings, art and photo montage of the artist Antônio Peticov and poetry of Itamar Assumpção. An initiative of Redecard, supported by the Brazilian Federal Law of Incentive to Culture, the book shows nine UNESCO sites in Brazil in areas on environmental protection.
2003 - Humanidade no Patrimônio Natural no Brasil - Um olhar de Antônio Peticov ("The World Heritage in Brazil's Natural Legacy, A View by Antônio Peticov") - Second Volume of the book produced by the company Leide Moreira; curatorship, drawings, art and photo montage of the artist Antônio Peticov and poetry of Itamar Assumpção and Alice Ruiz. An initiative of Redecard, supported by the Brazilian Federal Law of Incentive to Culture, the book shows more nine UNESCO sites in Brazil in areas on environmental protection.
2006 - Songbook Pretobrás - Por que que eu não pensei nisso antes? - O livro de canções e histórias de Itamar Assumpção - ("Songbook Pretobrás - Why didn’t I think of that before? - A book of songs and stories of Itamar Assumpção") - Two volumes including Assumpção's work with sheet music written by the musician Clara Bastos, and stories and opinions of the composer’s friends and family. - Publishing company Ediouro - An initiative of Petrobrás, supported by the Brazilian Federal Law of Incentive to Culture.
2012 - Itamar Assumpção - Cadernos Inéditos ("Itamar Assumpção - Unpublished Copybooks") – A book containing Assumpção's literary work, collected in copybooks of the composer. Publishing company Terceiro Nome - An initiative of Itaú Cultural, supported by the Federal Law of Incentive to Culture. The book includes a DVD entitled "Daquele Instante em Diante" ("From that moment on") produced in 2012 by Rogério Velloso.
2021 - Itamar Assumpção - Homem Bicho Bicho Homem - the first volume of the "Itamar Para Crianças" collection, with texts by the composer dedicated to children and adolescents. - Publishing company Caixote.
2021 - Itamar Assumpção - O Jabuti não tá nem aí - the second volume of the "Itamar Para Crianças" collection, with texts by the composer dedicated to children and adolescents. - Publishing company Caixote.
Itamar Assumpção - photo by Marcela Haddad
MARCELO DEL RIO
Marcelo Del Rio was born in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, and lives in Penha, a neighborhood in the eastern part of the town. He began his career as an independent artist in the 1990s, working with cultural production, theater and music.
Since then, Del Rio has dedicated his time to research and development of his own artistic language. Having the soul of an artist, restless and irreverent, he decided to explore his creativity.
Having a love for words, Del Rio writes poems and texts, and has studied languages such as English, Spanish, French and German. He is also a singer-songwriter who performs his songs, has written scripts and created soundtracks for dramatic performances, some of which were already published.
Del Rio was a friend of Itamar Assumpção’s and worked as his assistant from the 1990s until the composer's death. Influenced by Assumpção, Del Rio started his artistic career. Nowadays, besides producing his artwork and presenting the concert "Rei da Cocada Preta", he works with Assumpção’s family in the administration of Assumpção's artwork.
MARCELO DEL RIO'S ARTWORK
1995/2003 - Marcelo Del Rio worked with Itamar Assumpção, accompanying him in the production of his concerts until 2003, year of Assumpção's death.
2002 - The musical group Nhocuné Soul released the song entitled "Release", a partnership of Del Rio and the Brazilian composers Kannibal and Renato Gama.
https://play.google.com/store/music/album?id=By6ugntbnekn3sy5k6deeo4mymi (track 1)
2002/2003 - Del Rio is a member of the cultural project called "Humanidade no Patrimônio Urbano no Brasil - Um olhar de Antônio Peticov" ("The World Heritage in Brazil's Natural Legacy, A View by Antônio Peticov") - Two volumes of the book produced by the company Leide Moreira, with curatorship, drawings, art and photo montage of the artist Antônio Peticov and poetry of Itamar Assumpção and Alice Ruiz. An initiative of Redecard, supported by the Brazilian Federal Law of Incentive to Culture, the book shows UNESCO sites in Brazil in areas of environmental protection.
2011 - Del Rio released his first studio album entitled "Warning!", produced by Independently Productions, an independent musical label founded by Del Rio and his wife, Sandra Padilha.
https://soundcloud.com/user-882189034/sets/warning-2011
2012 - The musical group Nhocuné Soul released the song "Teu Nome" ("Your Name"), composed by Del Rio and Renato Gama.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HORhzDPCYco
2012 - Marcelo Del Rio is a member of the cultural project called "Itamar Assumpção - Cadernos Inéditos" ("Itamar Assumpção - Unpublished Copybooks") – A book containing Assumpção's literary work, collected in copybooks of the composer. Del Rio typed all the texts written on Assumpção's copybooks. Publishing Company Terceiro Nome - An initiative of Itaú Cultural, supported by the Brazilian Federal Law of Incentive to Culture.
http://www.terceironome.com.br/itamar.html
2014 - São Tomé das Letras – A Marcelo Del Rio's song released and chosen to be performed at 13º Song Festival of São Tomé das Letras, a Brazilian city in the state of Minas Gerais. The song is a tribute from Del Rio to São Tomé das Letras and talks about the charms of the city.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdjWcyX53OA
2016 - Marcelo Del Rio released songs from the soundtrack of the dramatic performance called "Invisíveis" ("Invisible"), composed and produced in partnership with his son, Pedro Del Rio, during the years of 2015 and 2016. The songs were composed and arranged by Del Rio and Pedro, solely for the drama, containing diverse musical styles blending contemporary and Middle Age, time in which the story happens.
http://www.independently.com.br/trilhasonora/invisiveis.html
2017 - Del Rio released the official video clip "A Senha é Venha que eu sou da Penha", featuring "Os Empenhados", from the single "A Senha é Venha que eu sou da Penha", a partnership of Del Rio and Itamar Assumpção. The video clip describes Penha, a neighborhood in the city of Sao Paulo. It was produced by Del Rio and his son Pedro Del Rio. For four years, they shot in Penha, where they live, and where Itamar Assumpção lived great part of his life.
http://www.independently.com.br/penha.html
2018 and 2019 - He worked on the production of the EPdrive "In Deutscher Sprache - Wer hätte das gedacht?", with songs by Itamar Assumpção sung in German.
2020 - Del Rio released his first studio EP entitled "In Deutscher Sprache - Wer hätte das gedacht?".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k-_bNc-FfI
2020 - Del Rio is invited to join the Council of the Itamar Assumpção Museum, of which he is a member.
Marcelo Del Rio - photo by Bárbara Serrano
OS EMPENHADOS ("THE COMMITED")
Os Empenhados is a team of Brazilian young musicians (between 18 and 23 years old) who get together to study Itamar Assumpção's work. These meetings are held by Del Rio and Pedro Del Rio and take place in the eastern part of the city of São Paulo, where the students live.
The group was formed in 2014, when Pedro Del Rio was in high school. He noticed his friends did not know Assumpção’s work, but enjoyed the songs when they heard them.
Del Rio and his son introduced Assumpção's work to the musicians, playing videos and records, showing books, telling stories about the composer and discussing his musicality. These meetings ultimately led to the creation of the band "Os Empenhados", consisting of drums, bass, acoustic guitar and electric guitar.
The first performance of the group occurred in September 2015, and since then the group has performed in different areas of São Paulo.
The aim is to perform Assumpção's work to the audience. The project is open for new musicians and the number of members has increased.
In 2017, the group participated in the recording of the song and the video clip: A Senha é Venha que eu sou da Penha, by Marcelo Del Rio and Itamar Assumpção.
In 2018 and 2019, the group accompanied Marcelo Del Rio on the recording of the EPdrive "In Deutscher Sprache", with songs by Itamar Assumpção sung in German, and the music video for the song "Hör'mir zu" (Listen to me).
In 2021, the project "Rei da Cocada Preta", with "Os Empenhados", was approved in the "VAI 2021" Program, of the São Paulo Department of Culture, for the show to be filmed and broadcast in cultural spaces in the city.
Currently, the group is preparing to record an album of new songs by Marcelo Del Rio and Itamar Assumpção.
The concert "Rei da Cocada Preta", 2015 - Live performance vídeo of "Pretobrás", a Itamar Assumpção's song.
Os Empenhados - Pedro Del Rio, Rodrigo Del Rio, Rafael Toreson, Pedro Félix, Ian Bertulli, Guilherme Nogueira and Kauê Gama.
CONTACT US
INDEPENDENTLY Productions BR
telefone: 55 11 954316646 - 55 11 27682951
email: pedrodelrio@outlook.com.br
Linktree Empenhados
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