Hermeto Pascoal: A Brazilian Musical Visionary
A musical sorcerer, a mad genius, and a walking explosion of sound
Describing Hermeto Pascoal is like trying to capture a hurricane in a bottle—impossible, but thrilling to attempt. Born in Brazil in 1936, he’s a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and sonic alchemist whose music fuses jazz, Brazilian folk, avant-garde experimentation, and sheer otherworldly invention.
Pascoal doesn’t just play instruments—he plays the universe. He coaxes music from teapots, children’s toys, water bowls, farm animals, and even his own beard. His improvisations can feel like chaotic, freewheeling storms, but underneath the madness is deep harmonic and rhythmic sophistication.
Collaborators and admirers range from Miles Davis—who famously called Pascoal “one of the most impressive musicians in the world”—to legions of contemporary jazz and Brazilian artists who view him as an almost mythical figure. His band arrangements are complex yet playful, his compositions dense yet inviting, and his presence on stage? A carnival of sound, humor, and boundless energy.
To listen to Hermeto Pascoal is to enter a world where music has no boundaries, only infinite possibilities. He’s not just a musician—he’s a force of nature.
Hermeto Pascoal, often referred to as the “Wizard of Sounds,” is one of Brazil’s most innovative and influential musicians. Born on June 22, 1936, in Lagoa da Canoa, Alagoas, Brazil, Pascoal is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and improviser whose work has transcended musical genres and pushed the boundaries of creativity in the global music scene.
Hermeto Pascoal is a towering figure in the world of music. He is renowned for his ability to make music from virtually anything. He transforms household objects, animals, and even the sounds of nature into instruments. His compositions have incorporated squeaking toys, the bubbling of water, and even the snorting of pigs, demonstrating his belief that music exists everywhere if you’re willing to hear it. This approach has made him a pioneer in experimental and avant-garde music.
Hermeto is proficient in a dizzying array of instruments, including the piano, flute, accordion, guitar, saxophone, melodica, and a variety of percussion instruments. His virtuosic skill allows him to weave intricate musical tapestries that blend Brazilian rhythms, jazz improvisation, and classical influences seamlessly.
Pascoal’s music is a kaleidoscope of styles, blending Brazilian folkloric traditions (like forró and baião) with modern jazz, classical music, and even rock. His work has been described as unclassifiable but always deeply rooted in the expressive and improvisational spirit of Brazilian music.
Hermeto Pascoal gained international recognition in the 1970s when he collaborated with Miles Davis. Hermeto contributed compositions to Davis’s 1971 album Live-Evil, which showcased his unique ability to merge Brazilian rhythms with the jazz idiom.
Hermeto is a prolific composer. His compositions are celebrated for their complexity and emotional depth. His 1977 double album Slaves Mass is considered a landmark in jazz fusion, featuring intricate arrangements, daring improvisations, and a melding of traditional Brazilian elements with cutting-edge techniques.
Go to the YouTube playlist and listen to all the music on Slave’s Mass.
Advocate for Brazilian Music and Culture
Pascoal has been a staunch advocate for Brazilian music, constantly incorporating its rich traditions into his work. He celebrates the rhythms, melodies, and instruments of his homeland, ensuring they remain at the forefront of his creative process even as he ventures into experimental realms.
The “Calendário do Som” (Calendar of Sound)
In 1996, Pascoal composed a unique project called Calendário do Som, where he created a piece of music for every day of the year, resulting in 366 original compositions. This monumental work underscores his boundless creativity and work ethic.
His Legacy in Modern Music
Pascoal’s influence is vast, inspiring generations of musicians both in Brazil and worldwide. His students and collaborators often praise his generosity, unconventional teaching methods, and his belief that music is an expression of the divine and universal.
Hermeto Pascoal’s importance lies in his fearless creativity and his ability to see the world as a limitless source of music. He has expanded what is considered possible in music, breaking down barriers between genres and redefining the role of sound in artistic expression. In doing so, he has not only enriched Brazilian music but has also made an indelible mark on the global musical landscape. Pascoal is more than a musician; he is a living embodiment of the idea that music is everywhere, waiting to be discovered.
Omg, yes! Amazing! How is it possible I had never heard of Hermeto Pascoal until now?!? I would call him a master sound-maker, like Coltrane, Kirk, and in fact all the genius musicians that have shaped my life, Parker, Monk, Mingus, Dolphy, to name just a very few. I have always been obsessed by the relationship between music and language, concluding a long time ago that music, ie. sound-making was was primal, together with gesturing and movement (dance). From as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to disconnect music from language. I believed that words simply contaminated the movement of sound. But there is of course the voice that has always been used for sound-making, and at some point all our external movement and sound-making started to internalize to become the first vocal symbols that would ultimately develop into the most complex cognitive system we use everyday: language.
But in my listening experience, starting when I was 8, listening to Oscar Peterson's "You Look Good To Me" and Dave Brubeck's Take Five, Unsquare Dance, Blue Rondo a la Turque etc, I felt a force which I cannot define to this day, but which pulls me towards the ultimate source of our becoming aware of ourselves, of nature around us, of the cosmos, of our relationship with others in the community. And it's at that point that I want to be, don't ask me why, and it is towards that point that the master sound-makers are able to take me. And when I'm taken there, I feel connected, I feel a recognition, a humility and a total sense of compassion.
A few years ago I had this Aha-Erlebnis, thinking: "Music is One River", which then led me to using sound-making to replace the term "music".
I thought all of the above reverberated strongly in what Hermeto Pascoal said, that he wasn't concerned with styles, but with universal music.
Thanks Bret, Hermeto Pascoal is a wonderful revelation to me!
I transcribed his tune Natal from a recent album, and arranged it for my students. It is one of their favorites!