VIP – Paulo Cesar and Aldeir Ferreira, 25 years of samba and success in China and Japan.

By Sergio Lima.

This is how our Jornal Vida Brasil Texas goes beyond all possible boundaries and discovers characters who promote Brazilian culture in the world. We are proud to present them to you, as this is our purpose and objective, to show the world the importance of the beautiful work developed by these two samba masters.

Paulo Cesar and Aldeir Ferreira are old-time friends, warriors, extraordinary human beings, people of our own, special, on the front lines. They are musicians who move with extreme competence through different aspects in the instrumental area of ​​samba, knowledgeable of the details of the bases, of the sources, where the brilliant rhythms and sounds flourish that are subtly taken from a tom, cavaquinho, surdo or any other instrument that is part of of this universe. Next, through an interview with Paulo Cesar, we will tell the whole story.

In the photo are three Brazilian dancers who do shows together, Renata, Simone and Aline. The other three are father mother and son, Japanese businessmen. These are the Japanese who started barbecue in Japan and brought it to China, Keiko , St Taichi and Jun the son who took it all over.

Interview

VB – Paulo Cesar, how many years have you lived in China?

PC – I have lived in China for 25 years

VB – Why did you choose China?

PC – Because before China, i lived in Japan for 4 years, it was in Japan that the opportunity to come to China arose, through the entrepreneur of the “Jing Jiang” Group who was delighted with the success we had at the steakhouse called “Bacana ”  in Japan and China we started work on the steakhouse called “Latina” detail the owner is Japanese and lived in Brazil, his name is Keiko and her husband Taichi, they are friends of Zico, Gal Costa, Menescal and all of Bossa Nova, they are the ones we worked with in Japan.

PC – Yes, i have plans to return to Brazil, i just haven’t returned yet, due to my son Julio, who is Chinese and really needs my presence there in China.

VB – Talk about your musical work in China, and what is your work instrument?

PC – My strength is entertaining the public, i’m a percussionist and i play several other instruments, but what i really like is playing the Tantã.

Paulo Cesar and Aldeir Ferreira in the place where they always perform  in our bar in Shanghai.

VB – What is the main style of your band and mention a song that you cannot fail to play in your presentations?

PC – Our musical style is samba, we also play Chinese songs in a samba rhythm. The 3 most played songs by us are, (TREM DAS ONZE), (MAS QUE NADA), and (CORAÇÃO EM DESALINHO), by Monarco, recorded by Zeca Pagodinho.

VB   Name three of the greatest sambistas in Brazil.

PC – I like several sambistas, it’s even difficult to say because i’m friends with many of them, but i like the work of Zeca Pagodinho, Martinho da Vila, by the way, has been sustaining samba for several decades, even before , the our unforgettable Roberto Ribeiro, great samba name, and the third, who i have extreme admiration for his work is Xande de Pilares.

VB – Is there anything in particular that you miss about Brazil?

PC – Yes, i miss my family, true friends like you from the “Lima Family”, brazilian food, the sea, the mountain climate of some brazilian cities, and the samba circles.

VB – Talk about this event where you met super important personalities from Brazil.

Our friend Simone always present, on the inauguration day of Mrs. Dilma Vana Rousseff at the G8 Bank in Shanghai Mrs Dilma is the new President. 

PC – I, “Paulo Cesar” and Aldeir Ferreira, are part of a PT nucleus in Shanghai, which has as one of its leaders our friend “Rodrigo Do Val”, a lover of samba and Brazilian culture. It was he who invited us to the inauguration of former President Mrs. Dilma Vana Rousseff, who is living in Shanghai, where the headquarters of the Brics bank is located.

Mrs. Dilma assumed the presidency of the bank on march 28, 2023. The Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Ms. Marina Silva.

Rodrigo Do Val is the one with the red tie, and this painting in Lula’s hand is the result of the elections in Shanghai and Beijing where the PT won, and we handed it over to President Lula .

President Lula went to Beijing for a state visit with President Xi Jinping, to the bank’s premises, which is very large.

We made some contacts, but it was at the very famous and historic hotel where they were staying, the Peace Hotel . Dilma Vana Rousseff and President Lula.

Source – https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/economia/noticia/2023-03/dilma-rousseff-e-eleita-presidente-do-banco-do-brics

To end the day on a high note, i Paulo Cesar, had the opportunity to play with the house band.

VB – Talk about your time as a musician in Brazil.

PC – My musical career in Brazil was very rewarding and i hope that when I return it will be the same thing we did several concerts in poor communities, with famous artists bringing culture to those who could not attend concerts outside the community because of the financial situation. We performed in “TOP” places such as the old  (Cafe Nice) (La Veneza) in Tijuca, (Roda Viva) in Urca.

We hired artists like Almir Guineto, Reinaldo, Mestre Marçal, Jovelina Pérola Negra, Dunga, Neguinho Da Beija Flor, and many others.

We are one of the first, to do the backyard pagode in Rio de Janeiro, we had several formations, one of them with PC Lima as vocalist, a great interpreter of Brazilian popular music. We are fans of “Grupo Fundo De Quintal” and we appreciate the support of the group “Poder Do Samba” who always believed in our talent and the cavaco lessons we received from Vicente Felisberto, Nadinho and José Soares, who helped us a lot in the beginning of our career .

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By Sergio Lima.