“I learned to sing Beatles songs in bossa nova notes,” says Supla

In the next edition of the program Persona, Chris Maksud and Atilio Bari receive Eduardo Smith de Vasconcellos Suplicy, the singer Supla.

They talk about the artist’s bands, his passion for boxing, the mix of Brazilian music and rock, his work as an actor and other topics.

Throughout his career, the Supla was part of several bands. The first of them, The Impossibleswas responsible for the artist’s first contract with a record label, Tokyo. He spoke about his career in music and his relationship with the drums, which became his main instrument:

I was 13 or 14 years old when my band, Os Impossíveis, was formed; they already played guitar and bass very well, and I was left with the drums. I was the one who put them together! […] We played everywhere. I’ve been playing at night in São Paulo since I was 14.”

I studied economics and it had nothing to do with me. But I was there because, when you’re young, you have to go to college, and I found the humanities interesting. But I just memorized it, I wasn’t interested. And there, I was already being launched in Brazil. After Tokyo managed to play in several dance clubs in São Paulo, a record company came and ‘signed us’. […] It was no longer a joke,” he said.

Boxing, Beatles and rock n’ roll

At another point in the conversation, Supla talks about boxing. In 1984, he was runner-up in the Forja dos Campeões, an amateur boxing championship in São Paulo. The singer explained the importance of the sport for his career and personal life.

For me, rock n’ roll is about energy, it’s about expressing yourself ‘loudly’. So I need to be in good physical shape at all times. I’m 58 years old, so I’m preparing myself to be in good health, my voice will come out much better. My body, my diaphragm, everything will be much better. […] And I don’t want to see people saying ‘wow, I went to the show Supla and the guy was dying there’”, he explains.

The artist also spoke about the album Furious Bossa (2003), which combines elements of Brazilian music with characteristics of rock n’ roll, a rhythm that is its trademark.

I made this mix because I was living in the United States and was looking for something of my own. I always liked bossa nova, I learned to sing songs from Beatles in bossa nova notes. Along with the John Solomonwe mixed the notes and made this album, the Furious Bossawhich was already a mix of punk, rock n’ roll and bossa nova”, revealed the artist.

The next edition of Persona will air on this Sunday (8/9)starting at 9pm, at TV Cultura.