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Yesterday was an incredibly sad day, as we learned of the
death of our dear friend, teacher and mentor, Alberto Farah. An incredible
pianist, composer, arranger and producer, Alberto made in impact on our lives
that cannot be measured.
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During our first trip to ....Brazil....
in 2004 he was instrumental in the development of the band’s sound and ethos,
always saying to us “Follow your hearts. Do not try and be something you are
not. Trust your instinct and play the music your
way”. Hearing these words from a Brazilian
maestro gave us confidence, and a belief in ourselves that we didn’t have
before.
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But it was about more than just the music for us. I will
never forget the daily drives from Lapa to Alberto’s home in Ihla do Govenador
and back again, the car full of laughter and jokes, testing my language skills
with the street names and wonderful, funny stories (“ I went to school with
Sergio Mendes. Saw him a couple of years ago. He got fat!”).
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Those afternoons will remain with us as some of the most
special times we have ever had, spending days with Alberto’s family; his wife Rita and their three
beautiful young daughters Thais, Ana-Luisa and Victoria, welcoming us into
their home and sharing with us laughter, food and love. Patiently sitting through our lessons in the
next room, or sometimes coming to sit with us in the tiny lounge-room to listen
as Kym and I worked on a new tune with Alberto.
The lack of any real language skills on our part didn’t really matter.
We found a way to communicate with his family that went beyond words, and
turned into something so very special. They are our family there, and we grieve
for them and feel their loss so deeply.
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Mike Ryan, Alberto’s close friend and musical companion for
many years, must also be feeling bereft at the loss of his musical soul-mate.
These two musicians together were something to behold – magical, crazy,
improvising madness! It was Mike that
introduced us to Alberto, figuring we’d be a good match, and he was right.
Alberto’s patience and generosity as a teacher gave us the room to move and
create at our own pace. He let us find
our own way through the music, and for Kym, in particular, he facilitated a way
forward for him as a composer that opened doors he couldn’t before
imagine. I know that if he ever gets
stuck on a composition, the solution for him will always lie in the answer to
the question “What would Alberto do?”
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Our most recent stay in ....Brazil....
saw us finally sharing the stage with our mentor at Mike’s club, Triboz. But
our first shows in ..Rio.. were unscheduled, acting as the
replacement band for Alberto, who was too ill to perform in the first weeks we
were there. When he did hit the stage
though, we sure knew it!
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For Kym each gig was like a class in itself. Me, well he was
ever the generous spirit with me, pushing me to engage and react to what he was
playing, but never making it so that I wasn’t able to respond and be involved
with the music. He knew my limitations & played to my strengths. But he could be a fierce task-master with
musicians he considered to have ‘lazy ears’!
He could push and pull you in many directions and you absolutely had to
be on your game to share a stage with him.
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O.J and Mark played as his rhythm section for an entire gig one
night, (at his request – he thought they were fantastic – of course!), and had
a ball, though they came off stage looking a little shell-shocked! We are still going to get t-shirts printed
that say “I played a gig with Farah – and survived!”
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Before we left ..Rio.. last year, we all
spent a wonderful day with Alberto, his family & Mike. After a spectacular lunch prepared by Rita,
the fellas adjourned to Alberto’s little studio to experience more of his
amazing music, and me with Rita and the girls, singing and laughing through the
afternoon. The passing of years had not, and will never, diminish the love we
have for them, and our hearts are breaking at the loss of our friend, and what
his family is going through.
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With Alberto’s first wife and grown children, we also share
our condolences, and too, with his mother, who helped to look after him in
these final months.
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Dear Alberto, I know you will never read these words, but I
have said as much to you in the past…you have been such an influence on us, and
your generosity, humility and knowledge has served to teach us many
lessons.
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Reminisces of our times together will no longer be
occasional random thoughts – they will be locked in our memories and our hearts
forever, and through our music we will always remember, and pay tribute to you.
We are so grateful and lucky to have had
the time we did with you - our dear, dear friend who we will miss terribly.
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Valeu querido amigo.
Respeito, paz e amor pra tudo tempo.
Anje & Kym
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