The Brazilian who loves mantras

All those who came to attend the evening that promised a good treat of Brazilian music were definitely surprised when the sound of Om Namah Shivai echoed in the auditorium and greeted them. None of them would have thought that the woman in her late 20s and dressed in a perfect Western evening dress would know about mantras.

“Besides Indian music, I love mantras from Hindu religion and my performance follows them. Chanting them before my performance imbibes some spiritual and positive energy in me. I am a follower of Swami Nityananda and Gurumayi Chidvilasananda and from them I have got the knowledge of these mantras,” said Brazilian singer Paula Santoro who was in the Capital recently to perform at Kamani Auditorium. She was accompanied by piano player Rafael Vernet, bass player Guto Wirtti and drummer Alex Buck.

The group enthralled the audience with the mix of regional music from Brazil — Bossa Nova, Samba and Choro — to name a few.

Santoro said the music was not typically a traditional music from Brazil but she has made some changes to make it more interesting.

“I picked up different rhythms from various parts of our country and I have included a bit of samba, ballets and jazz. I would like people to understand our music easily, sing our songs and dance on the beats. Only this would help us spread our culture and music to the rest of the world. My focus has always been on the exchange of culture between countries and I was so glad to note that Indian audience occupied most of the seats in the auditorium during our performance with few Brazilians as well,” smiled Santoro, in India for the first time after her performances in other European countries.

“I’m completely fascinated by Indian art, culture and traditions. I visited the Taj Mahal and was bowled over by its beauty. It was like a dream come true to watch the wonder in front of my eyes. I went there with my husband and the entire experience was just amazing,” she shared.

Santoro was born in Minas Gerais, and she believes music is in her blood. “I belong to the place where legends like Milton Nascimento and Ary Barroso were born. I strated singing at an early age during family reunions and was encouraged by my family, especially my grandfather who himself was a great violin player. Once I started my career, there has been no looking back. I launched my own album in 2005 in Brazil, Argentina and Japan,” she said.

After her performance in the Capital, Santoro will be performing in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

Source: Sunday Pioneer