A Long Way To The Top

Day 3, Friday 3pm and I arrived in Itaipava, a mountain city one hour away from Rio De Janeiro in Brazil. I'm here to meet one of the 100 greatest guitarists in the world...but it's a long way to the top in the rock and roll song book of fame. Itaipava is like a subtropical Swiss Alps, it is high, green, green and green. I leave the bus and meet Coppos the bass player and Vianna the lead guitarist at the city station. They are dressed in their informal rock and roll song book look, but tropical style, the kind of gear needed to brave the summer at 41C outdoor. Even in the mountains aircon is required, especially for those arriving from much cooler climates like the Northern European winter I just left behind. We are driving to Vianna's studio - by the way Vianna is among the 100 greatest guitarists in the world or perhaps even the 50 greatest, or even higher. We are going to meet Leila Maria to record her vocals on a new rock and roll song, Rio style. We cross the check point at the gated community and start climbing the condominium's pretty, well paved road with polished rocks and nice looking coarse tropical grass. We pass this big house, then that even bigger house, climbing higher and higher and a question springs to mind - are we there yet? No, I don't care how long it takes. The view is stunning; the conversation is nice and animated while Vianna steers his muddy green VW up the hill. After another tree and another house, we arrive; here we are at the very top of this luxurious condominium surrounded by bountiful, lush green. Rocky and Bucylady come to greet us barking and wagging their tales, two very welcoming hosts. The happy mongrels follow us all the way to the studio, a little yellow bungalow beside a huge rock surrounded by high, fruit filled trees. As soon as I enter the studio I see Leila and her smile for the very first time. A tall and elegant person, what a reception, great fraternal vibes and there and then I know I am among talented people, not only with one of the 100 greatest guitarists in the world, but vocal talent and creative talent. I have no doubt. We spent a couple of hours, tweaking, listening, commenting and recording Leila's vocal on our rock and roll song. Actually is is not a rock and roll song and it is not a bossa nova song. The song requires a certain unusual mood and we have to create that from scratch. Vianna, in his 100 greatest guitarists' style, records a new guitar solo, Coppos records a new bass line and we were all very satisfied with the final result. A new not quite rock and roll song is born, it is digital bossa, bossa blues, blues bossa and it's Groove n' Bossa at its best. The band is faithful to its Brazilian rock and roll song and blues-rock early origins and Rio's bossa roots, they try to make sure it's all there. I help to produce it and today a new single is born. Now I have the tune on my Android phone, that is fun to have one of the 100 greatest guitarists on my phone and knowing that soon it will go out as an itunes download. We also shoot a video to register the encounter and just days later it will be on Youtube to delight viewers. The not quite rock and roll song is called "Sexy" the same title as Groove n Bossa's new album. We made 3 versions available for download; Portuguese, English and instrumental. The name says it all, it is called sexy because Itaipava is sexy, Rio is sexy, our not quite rock and roll song is sexy, airplanes are sexy, champagne is sexy, sexy design, sexy feelings and Marco Vianna's 100 greatest guitarists' sexy solo style is sexy.