Help The Aged: Tom Zé

Tom Zé comes onto the stage dressed as a record player. On his arm he has an oversized stylus, and various wires are sprouting from his back and shoulders. There is a 12" disc pressed up against his belly. Looking at a 72 year old man dressed as a record player filled me with a joy I have rarely experienced, This is mainly because I haven't looked at many men dressed as record players in my life, especially septuagenarian ones, but I also haven't looked at many geniuses either, and here I am, killing two birds with one stone.

"I don't make art, I make spoken and sung journalism."

Tom Zé is more famous in Brazil then he should be. He is too old, his music is too odd and he doesn't sound like this. But everyone has heard of him, and I even saw him giving a guide to tai chi on breakfast tv.

"I discovered at a young age that I was horrible composer, a horrible instrumentalist, and a horrible singer."

Tom Zé first released a record in 1968 at the age of 32. He was a key player in the tropicalia movement of the late sixties, but kept a distance from the group as he was ten years older then them. He eventually slipped into obscurity, and was rediscovered by David Byrne (it's that man again), who released a best of on Luaka Bop. Here is his seminal, victorious performance at Tropicalia's defining moment, 1968's Festival da Cançao:



Tom Zé is funny. Live, he tells jokes, some of which even I can understand. He talks frankly about himself, sex and politics, and praises the young people of Brasília, as they can live in amongst all this corruption and remain dignified and decent. One of my favourite songs when I saw him live was all about himself. In the first verse tells us that his cd's are very reasonably priced, that we should buy them as they are very good, and that he doesn't understand why he isn't more popular. In the second, he adopts the critics voice to say "who the hell does this Tom Zé think he is? He's too old, he's no good etc." Meanwhile, his band sing a chorus of his name, repeated for comedy effect.

Tom Zé is the best example that I can think of an artist who has remained vital, challenging and interesting into his later years.

"Songs are inside of me, like pearls resting in oysters"

Tom Zé is (cliché alert) a true original, not in the way that some people are because they wear brightly coloured clothes, but because you know his brain is wired in a different way to other people. He makes these sounds because in his head he hears poetry and truth, and if it sounds disorienting and odd to you, well, that's your problem. He reminds me of Bjork (or should that be the other way round?), as he successfully marries experimental sounds with pop, in his case the Brazilian genres of forro, pagode and samba with electronics, odd lyrics and humour. He also has a eye for the visual (e.g dressing as a record player), and the importance of 'performing' on stage, as opposed to merely 'appearing'. He is uniquely Brazilian, but is completely out of place in the popular culture of the country.

Tom Zé was going to manage a petrol station when he met David Byrne.

Tom Ze - Perisseia (released in 2000, at the age of 64)
Tom Ze - Gene (released in 1998, at the age of 62)
Tom Ze - Dor é Dor (released in 1972, sampled by Amerie in 2006)

Buy Tom Ze music

Thanks to Stephen for the musical suggestions.

February 16th is the day of the reporters.