From Andrew Connell’s excellent Dissertation on Hermeto:

(https://www.faroutrecordings.com/pages/hermeto-pascoal-universal-musician-page9 )

In 1978, Hermeto made a triumphant appearance at the First São Paulo International Jazz Festival,
appearing with his new band consisting of Cacau on tenor, baritone sax, and flute; Nenê on drums;
bassist Itiberê Zwarg; Pernambuco on percussion; Antonio Celso on electric guitar and mandolin; and
pianist Jovino Santos Neto. The band’s performance proved to be a breakthrough for both
Hermeto’s career and for Brazilian instrumental music in general. In the eyes of the public and the
press, Hermeto proved himself to be the equal of any foreign jazz musician, several of whom sat in
during his performance.

“Everything conspired for the grand aesthetic explosion of the festival. When Hermeto Pascoal
entered the stage early Monday morning, few could anticipate how much art the ‘magician’ would
have the capacity to create. And until 4:30 in the morning, Hermeto created non–stop, never taking
a break to breathe. Astonished musicians, technicians and the public embarked on a continuous
improvisation. He began playing an old washbasin and—after playing flute, keyboards, percussion,
and telling jokes of fine humor—ended by throwing an electric organ to the floor. Without being
coaxed, pianist Chick Corea (“Chico Coéia,” according to Hermeto), guitarist John McLaughlin, and
saxophonist Stan Getz descended from their pedestals and participated in the sound–party of baiãos
and frevos. Hermeto, the man of the house, facilitated everything for his guests, changing the
subject from two to three chords whenever one of the visiting musicians ceased to have anything to
say. (Moraes 1978:88)”

At the end of his set, the organizers refused to let Hermeto return for an encore, causing a near riot.
As the lights in the auditorium were raised, the audience began booing, smashing chairs, and
attacking the flowers that decorated the sides of the stage until the festival producers implored
Hermeto to return before the spectators destroyed the hall.

Following his grand success, Hermeto declared, somewhat tongue in cheek: “I am the greatest
musician in the world!” He was the subject of major articles in three of Brazil’s leading magazines:
Visão, Movimento, and Veja, all of whom allowed him ample space to sound off on a number of
subjects. He berated the festival for omitting Brazilian artists such as Edu Lobo and pianist Luiz Eça,
and criticized Brazilian instrumental musicians in general for being disorganized and too concerned
with making money instead of improving their art. “We could make enough money to eat and dress
ourselves and still have time to dedicate to music. So, I think this festival gave us a lesson for our
music. . . . My people, prepare yourselves, study, and when your opportunity arrives, you will be
ready to perform” (Galvão 1978:20). He expressed his irritation over the obsession with foreign
musical stars, reacting angrily to one musician’s admiring comment, “Hermeto, you are going to
have the opportunity to play with Chick Corea.” Why, Hermeto asked, did no one think to say that
Corea was going to have the opportunity to play with him? (Galvão 1978).

Most of the musicians appearing at the festival were housed in the same hotel, leading to a lot of
cross-cultural music making. Saxophonist Stan Getz (or “O Estanguete,” as Hermeto pronounced it)
even rehearsed with the group prior to his participation. Back at the band’s hotel room, Hermeto
added a part for Getz on two compositions, “Forro em Santo André” and “Forro Brasil.” Hermeto
later claimed the experience transformed Getz’s musical interpretation:

He [usually] plays in only one style, one color. . . . When he played with our group, it was another
Stan Getz. He became unrecognizable. He began to feel a freedom he hadn't known before; he never
imagined that Brazil had something different [musically]. He got really emotional in rehearsal and
asked to play with us. We explained that our music was completely different than his, but he was a
good musician and could play anything. So then, Stan Getz played forró. He was completely changed.
(Galvão 1978:21)

The performance is preserved on YouTube, and Getz does play in an inspired manner, taking long
solo that climaxed in a flurry of discordant notes that took him in a decidely free direction, a far cry
from the bossa nova recordings he’d made in the early 1960s.

Neither English guitarist John McLaughlin or pianist Chick Corea rehearsed ahead of the
performance, but they were so excited by the performance that Hermeto had to restrain them and
make them wait for their turn to play.
CHICK COREA – THE SPIRITIUAL PIANIST (Valdir Zwetsch) Revista POP Nº 73, Novembro de 1978.

The day before the interview, Chick had played with Hermeto at Anhembi. And I was still
experiencing the impact of that experience. Perhaps for that very reason, Chick Corea spent the
whole morning browsing stores in São Paulo, looking for Brazilian percussion instruments. When
he arrived, after sending orange juice to the journalists, he immediately spoke of Hermeto: "It is
easy to play with him. We had already played together in New York, working with Miles Davis - so
we came from the same source. Hermeto is like a Miles Davis from Brazil, it's great to play with
him on instruments. He's just a genius!

And Chick, what is he? A spirit. “People are not bodies, they are not minds, they are spirits."
Therefore, according to the logic of Corea, they have no nationality. He himself is American, of
Italian descent and recorded an LP called “My Spanish Heart”: "Technique and style can be
mechanical things. But the feeling, the way you feel the music, this is something spiritual, without
borders. It’s not necessary to be Brazilian to play samba. but you need to feel the spirit of samba
to play it well ". That is why Chick Corea seeks to make his music from the perspective of a
"planetary culture". As he himself says: "We live in a kind of crazy world, in which countries are
very different from each other. And there is only one thing that ties it all together: art. Who
doesn't know that people love to listen to music all over the world? ".

Then, to conclude, the prospect of a "collective music" emerges that would complete the picture
of his spiritual and planetary vision of art. In other words: creative activity would not be the
privilege of artists, but of all people. As an example of what he imagines this type of work might
be, Chick Corea cites the cases of two other North American jazz buffs, Sun Ra and Roland Kirk:
they, in their concerts, give instruments to the audience to play. And it is at that moment, when
he talks about the possibility of carrying out his projects, that Chick Corea gets excited,
remembering once again his "challenge" from the previous day with Hermeto and proclaims:
"Well, your own carnival is an example of that. People all on the streets, making sounds with
anything that makes a noise - that's a beautiful way to make collective music! " And he ends the
conversation saying that he will return to see the carnival "in loco", of course!
ALL THE SOUNDS IN THE WORLD AT THIS JAZZ FESTIVAL! Revista POP Nº 73, Novembro de 1978.
By Ezequiel Neves (Excerpts)

The São Paulo jazz festival showed a healthy salad of sounds from the present and the future. And
it was our Hermeto, with his incredible creativity, who best synthesized this beautiful mixture.

The simple fact of having brought an audience of over 60,000 people to the Anhembi Convention
Palace, for seven days and eight nights, triumphantly enshrines the holding of the First
International Jazz Festival in São Paulo. And the best part: the fact that at least half of this audience
is composed of young people who had never been in contact with Louis Armstrong's language of
Jazz before, further dignifies the great idea of the Secretariat for Culture, Science and Technology.
which transformed São Paulo, from the 11th to the 18th of September, into the jazz capital of the
world.
The great virtue of this triumphant "First Festival", was that there was no dispute or confrontation
between Brazilians and foreigners. There was, however, a healthy exchange of energy and musical
vocabulary in which jazz was always and always victorious. The proof of this was given by the
prodigious "Bruxo do Som", Hermeto Paschoal - authentic synthesis of the musical marathon that
took place in Anhembi. Deliciously eclectic blending all current sound information, Hermeto started
from the most abandoned free-jazz to Northeastern music, proving that the authentic inventors are
those who strive for the creation of the music of the future.
https://blogs.berklee.edu/2013/05/interview-with-john-mclaughlin-by-andre-vasconcelos/ (excerpt)

Being the Brazilian writer for the Berklee Blogs I would like to ask you about your perspective on
Brazilian music in general. How did it influence your musicianship? Are there are any brazilian groups
that you currently follow?

John McLaughlin - “Brazilian music began its impact on me as far back as 1968 with the recording of
Stan Getz with Joao Gilberto. This recording had an impact on Jazz itself. Later I had the opportunity
to play a TV show with Astrud Gilberto which was a real pleasure. The music of Hermeto Pascoal,
Egberto Gismonti and Joao Bosco have all had an impact on me that continues to this day”.

Hermeto e Grupo Forró em Santo André - 1st Internacional Festival de Jazz, São Paulo 1979

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCJY6AEGL2s – Hermeto banging a bowl, then playing “Vi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99DfCJY71KQ - part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOqGURQkD9g - part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HyQ0qrbh-c - part 3 with Heraldo do Monte (notice Chick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxwm_87EtwY – part 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ1xO1UToIk - part 5 with Heraldo do Monte and Stan Getz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w3rD_6wNE - part 6 with Stan Getz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HaSKKI0hH4 – part 7 with Stan Getz

The above does NOT include the jam session later in the night with Chick Corea and John
McLaughlin. No footage (audio or video) of this has ever surfaced. Does it exist?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiUa515-Rtk with Stan Getz (edit from Mosiacos documentary)

Hermeto Pascoal - II Festival Internacional de Jazz de São Paulo (1980)

Hermeto - sax , Itiberê Zwarg – baixo, Jovino Santos Neto – piano, Pernambuco - percussão
Ricardo Silveira – guitarra, Alfredo Dias Gomes – bateria
Special Participation - Dominguinhos e Oswaldinho (accordeon)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b44jYnBUd5k - Starts with “Música das Nuvens e do Chão”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhAfY9kOkHQ - with Dominguinhos and Oswaldinho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZynsU8Dpro - Hermeto plays “Escuta Meu Piano” on Yamaha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im5MG3k4-qM - Cabelouro, Bebe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d4Zogrl_GA - with Dominguinhos and Oswaldinho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P-XCSPn_24 - with Dominguinhos and Oswaldinho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsFV32obovM - Música das Nuvens e do Chão