Rick Wakeman pays tribute to Yes, Bowie and the Beatles at farewell show in Sao Paulo

The ‘Keyboard Wizard’ performed a one-man show to a full house in the south of the capital of Sao Paulo; Brit is on tour in Brazil

Progressive rock has been a hugely successful genre in Brazil since the 1970s. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who has just said goodbye (allegedly) to São Paulo, first played in the country almost 50 years ago, when international shows here were very rare. or non-existent – the performance promoted the Englishman’s masterpiece: the concept album Journey to the Center of the Earth (1974), adaptation based on the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), by the French writer Jules Verne.

Since then, Wakeman has returned several times and established a solid fan base in Latin America. Friday 12th, on a farewell tour that passes through four Brazilian cities, performed in front of an audience of around 2,200 people at the Tokio Marine Hall in southern Sao Paulo. The tickets were sold out.

‘The Keyboard Wizard’, reference on the instrument, is a historic member of Yes, the primordial group of the ‘Holy Trinity’ of prog rock, together with Genesis and King Crimson. Later, names like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd and Rush would carry the torch of a class that deviates from radio standards by incorporating long instrumental solos and elements of classical music.

A journey from Mars to the center of the Earth

Wakeman’s journey began late, at 10 p.m., but the musician promptly took the stage for an intimate one-man show, without any kind of backing band, and without the shiny capes or long blonde hair that was once his trademark.

Alternating between keyboard and piano throughout the performance, he opened the work with Jane Seymor AND Catherine Howardparts of The six wives of Henry VIII (1973), album that interprets the famous story of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England, founder of the Anglican Church. After the first round of applause Rick made the audience laugh with his typical British humour.

Next, the first tribute of the evening went to rock’s “chameleon”, David Bowie, who recruited Wakeman in the late ’60s and early ’70s to play the classics Space oddity AND Life on Mars?played with a subtlety that makes you cry.

A meticulously constructed medley evoked the characters of The myths and legends of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table (1975), another fundamental concept album in his discography, this one dedicated to the medieval stories of the legendary King Arthur.

The most applauded composition of the evening, Yessonata, was a gift to the fans. Made specifically for this tour, the track collected excerpts from 30 Yes songs, specifically from the albums Fragile (1971), Close to the edge (1972) e Tales from the topographical oceans (1973), in which the unmistakable keys of ‘Mago’ are immortalized. Some easily recognizable sections were those of Waking up, RoundaboutT, And you and me AND Heart of dawn.

With the musical journey nearing its end, the Englishman wanted to combine the revolutionary sound of the Beatles with the layers and varied textures that only his “haunted” keyboard can provide, in a perfect Lennon/McCartney fusion , with bold versions of Help! AND Eleanor Rigby.

Rick also returned for an encore and got the most euphoric reaction from the audience when he announced that he would be playing some excerpts from Journey to the Center of the Earth – summarized in pieces Travel AND I remember, ending a breathtaking spectacle of musical excellence.

Wakeman concludes his visit to Brazil with performances in Brasilia on April 14 and in Curitiba the following day.

Source: Terra

Earl

Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.