All language subtitles for TheGrooveUndertheGrooveos20261080pNFWEB-DLDDP51x264-Dreamingbleu_track3_5Beng5D[_31724]

[Woman, in English] Who is this Paulinho?

[Man 1, in English] Paulinho is a master of Groove.

[Man 2, in English] He's been the heart of so many hits!

[Man 3, in English] That smile is in the music!

[Man 4, in English] Life is about dreaming. Dream big!

[Narrator, in English] If you're like most people,

You don't know exactly what percussion is.

In the world of music, it's the sound that comes closest.

of the heartbeat.

With so many crazy shapes, colors, and cultures,

Percussion is the gateway to the world of rhythm and music.

Part of the human experience that we share.

[batucadas]

[Narrator] There's this guy. You won't believe him.

Whitney Houston thought he was touched by God.

And Michael Jackson considered him "the greatest percussionist in the world".

Paulinho da Costa has been the creative force.

for some of the greatest artists of all time.

The heartbeat of so many of our favorite songs.

Perhaps he is the most famous musician .

of whom most of us have never heard.

A guy who has been not just heart and soul .

of magical musical encounters,

and all the legends he played with,

But this guy , and perhaps this is the best part,

has also been the heart of so many beautiful moments.

experienced by humans all over the planet.

Billions of people he will never meet.

and whose lives are a little bit better because of him.

Now imagine how that guy must feel.

Well , that's how it is!

[samba music] ♪

Now! That's it!

[samba music] ♪

[electronic music] ♪

[low note] ♪

What do you think was the reason for inventing the first drum?

This is for you to answer:

How do you think the first drum was created?

How?

There were droughts.

And they couldn't eat because it wasn't raining.

What precedes the rain?

The thunder.

[sounds of thunder]

[Quincy] They were trying to imitate thunder to create rain.

and get food.

Because Africa, unlike classical music

which highlights the virtuosity of the concerts,

African music is about the force of life.

virginity rites, circumcision rites,

Things to make your life easier.

Filling in the gaps, all of this came from Africa, you know?

Music about the power of life.

They imitated crickets, monkeys, birds...

Sometimes they would listen to the birds.

And they saw how things were created, like the first drum.

The first drum was an attempt to imitate thunder!

[low note] ♪

Because they had no food! It was pure necessity, you know?

It had nothing to do with creativity; the issue was: "We have to eat!"

- [serious note] - [knocks]

[upbeat music] ♪

[Narrator] Rio de Janeiro in the 1950s was incredibly beautiful,

Glamour and hope after the end of World War II.

That is, if you lived in the South Zone.

Home to the Brazilian elite, destination for international tourists,

the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema

Besides the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain.

But there in the North Zone, where Paulinho grew up,

It had nothing glamorous about it.

Paulinho was born in the Irajá neighborhood.

which had a lot of violence, poverty, racism, hunger and percussion,

Lots of percussion.

So what's so special about this guy?

who grew up poor in the suburbs, barely finished primary school,

What made so many music legends want to work with him?

[Paulinho, in English] To tell you the truth,

My first instrument was the table in my house.

At that table, I started to get interested.

because I was tapping on it with the back of my hands.

And I was playing a groove with the backs of my hands.

And my mother loved it, she would start singing.

She used to sing the Portela anthem.

[in Portuguese] ♪ Portela, its colors are ♪

♪ The flag of Brazil… ♪

[single-speaker]

[chorus] ♪ Forward Portela, to victory ♪

♪ Don't you see that your past is full of glory… ♪

[in English] My samba school is Portela.

[coral] ♪ ...Portela, its colors have ♪

♪ On the Brazilian flag And in the sky too ♪

♪ Go Portela, for the victory! ♪

♪ Don't you see that your past is full of glory? ♪

♪ I miss you ♪

♪ Awake, oh great youth ♪

♪ Its colors are beautiful ♪

♪ Your values are endless ♪

♪ Dear Portela, you are everything in life to me ♪

♪ For me… ♪

[in English] The Samba Schools? Samba?

It's rhythm.

[samba music] ♪

In Brazil, the rhythm has a different emotion.

It's the heartbeat and the passion!

And you can feel it!

When you go to a Samba School, you think:

"What's going on here?"

It's tribal. It's the only place on Earth where you find this kind of emotion.

♪

[Paulinho, in English] The table was the easiest thing I had.

to use as an instrument,

And back then it was a wooden table,

There was no marble, nothing fancy in the house, it was all wood!

From then on I started playing a tambourine,

which I don't know where it came from...

[narrator] At that moment, the groove was born in Paulinho's life.

The tambourine became a member of the family.

[Quincy, in English] I didn't have a mother.

When I was 7 years old, she was taken to a clinic for early-onset dementia.

We were out on the street all the time.

So I said, "If I don't have a mother,

"I'm going to let the music be my mother."

And she was always there for me, she never let me down.

I'm sure it's the same with him.

I recognize this, I feel this.

Yes, she had to separate the children.

because there was no way to support them all.

So I went to one lady's house, my brother to another,

And so we went on with our lives.

[Narrator] Paulinho's parents got divorced.

He and his brothers went to live in different houses.

Now it was Paulinho and his tambourine against the world.

[beats on the tambourine] ♪

[Narrator] Paulinho's passion for the tambourine grew.

And he wanted to play even better.

He had to find a master.

[Paulinho, in Portuguese] That the samba group existed there, the Penha church.

And at the Penha festival there was a story about the drummers…

The best people were there at that moment, right?

Many times I was down there, as a young boy, playing,

and my knowledge… I thought I was already capable

to participate in that environment,

without knowing that it was actually a selection of musicians.

Not only percussionists, but there were guitarists, cavaquinho players, and everything.

Then I met a gentleman named Jorge Sapecão,

He was the guy who helped me a lot to become who I am today.

And he told me: "Look, you have a talent,

"But study for another three years and then come back here."

So I went there and studied.

Three, four, five hours a day.

My mother was already saying, "Hey, are you crazy?"

My hand was bleeding, boy. Blood, real blood gushing from my hand.

Then I went back, spoke to him, and he said:

"Look, now I'm starting to worry about you,

"Because you're becoming dangerous."

And that's how I entered the team with respect.

[in English] I was 16, 17 years old

And they called me for an audition for a tour in Europe.

I arrived at the place, sat down, and suddenly...

One of the people said, "Stop everything!"

"That's the kid who has to go on this trip!"

And he pointed at me!

He had probably already seen me on stage without me knowing.

From one moment to the next I was in Germany, Frankfurt,

I took an Aeroflot plane and arrived in Moscow!

I was supposed to stay for a week, but I ended up staying for three months.

[ri]

They still wanted us to go back to Siberia in the winter.

I said, "Not in winter, no way!"

Please, maybe we can choose a better time."

[ri]

[narrator] After his adventures in Europe,

Paulinho returned to Brazil.

And he started playing at the hottest nightclub in Rio.

A "gig" that would change his life forever.

March.

[in English] Friday the 13th, 1970.

[Paulinho] In that nightclub, Katakombe,

There were many tourists who went to see the shows at night.

That night we arrived earlier.

And Paulinho was playing.

- [Alcione sings] - [samba music]

♪ [Samba music ends]

Oh my God! - [laughs]

I had a solo where I played the atabaque drum.

the African drum.

Shirtless...

And that's what made my eyes light up.

I used to be handsome, not anymore, but I was in shape.

He was young, strong, and she was charmed.

"Want to bet? I'm going out with that guy."

When we met and I saw her coming up the stairs,

I said, "It's her." Beautiful legs, man!

[Arice] We started dating and nobody thought it would work out.

Nobody wanted us to be together!

Whether it was due to color, social standing, money...

Distinct origins,

She was white and I was black, I was already in the world and she was in school.

And the father didn't understand that.

If I had a daughter, I would say the same.

"Wait a minute, forget about that guy!"

But our love was so strong...

[Arice] Of course my parents didn't know we were dating.

My father wouldn't let me date anyone.

We literally ran away. That's the truth.

[soft music] ♪

[George, in English] When a man falls in love with a woman

Do you think he cares about her skin color?

She doesn't care about his skin color if they're in love.

[Arice] We were both 21 years old. We were super in love.

And Paulinho was invited on a tour, which started in Portugal.

We were so in love,

I saw an opportunity to be with him!

Suddenly she was in the lobby of my hotel.

When I got there, I was scared!

Because it was a surprise.

What if I were with another girl?

[Narrator] When they realized it, the tour had turned into a honeymoon.

And his wife became a businesswoman.

[Paulinho] It was a long trip and I told the producers:

"You decide: either Arice travels with me or I go back with her."

They said, "Wow, but..."

That's it. You choose what you want to do.

I'll pack my bag and come back, or Arice will come with me.

Because we'll never be apart from each other again.

They said, "Okay, she's coming with us." And so it was.

[soft pop music] ♪

[Narrator] OK, we're getting ahead of ourselves here.

This song, one of the first hits that Paulinho played on,

It would only be released 7 years later.

But it's perfect, isn't it?

Look at these lovebirds...

[thoughtful] When the tour of Europe and the Middle East ended,

Paulinho was "The Man" back in Rio.

An experienced musician whose magnetism was undeniable in Rio's nightclubs.

Everything was happening, you know? She was expecting my first child,

We have two sons, Paulo and then Leonardo.

when I was invited to play at "Number One",

which was the main nightclub in Rio's nightlife, in Ipanema.

The most important artists used to perform there.

International artists went there,

Sarah Vaughan e outros.

One night Sergio Mendes came over and saw me playing.

and he invited me to play in his band.

[Narrator] But for that to happen, Paulinho would have to move to Los Angeles.

And despite the great opportunity, the choice was very difficult.

Paulinho didn't speak any English, Arice was pregnant,

and they would have to leave their family and friends.

that could help the young mother at this time.

So, it was difficult, you know? But we decided to go, and we went.

So, in 1972,

We came to Los Angeles.

[upbeat music] ♪

[Lani Hall, in English] Even before he came to the United States,

I always listened to Brazilians and people from the group.

talking about Paulinho.

"We have to bring Paulinho!"

And I was thinking, "Who is this Paulinho guy?"

[samba music] ♪

[excited shouts]

♪

♪ [Samba music ends]

[vocalize]

[vocalize]

[excited shout]

[samba music] ♪

We made so many magical recordings together,

com The Crusaders often,

with Joe Sample many times,

who is watching us from up there and laughing,

One day he told me:

"There's a guy who just arrived from Brazil, and he plays really well, man!"

He touches everything with a smile!

[ri]

["Dreamer", by Ella Fitzgerald plays] ♪

I tried not to look at him in the studio.

Because I knew I wouldn't see him again later when I was listening to the record.

I didn't want to be seduced by the happiness on his face.

I wanted to be seduced by the sound of the instrument.

So I lost several...

[stutters] Sometimes during a repetition I would look,

But I couldn't afford to look at you.

Because I was never going to see you again.

- Do you understand? - Dude, thanks.

♪

[in Portuguese] My English was…

- It's really tiny, isn't it? I mean... - But the sound, huh?

[belt]

The English is tiny, but the sound, wow…

[batucadas]

These were the first drums.

that I played in the United States.

Made by my dear friend Mariano,

Cuban.

[in English] Paulinho didn't speak English when we met.

He didn't say anything!

They used to tell me: "Paulinho, don't learn perfect English."

Because we don't want you to lose your Brazilian accent.

Without him, you're not Paulinho anymore! We don't want that.

"Learn enough so we can communicate," and I went for it!

[ri]

[vocalize]

[narrator] The next 3 years playing with Sergio Mendes would be the pinnacle.

Paulinho as a stage artist,

where he always captivated the audiences.

[notes on the berimbau] ♪

[In English] Paulinho's image is very powerful when he plays.

[samba music] ♪

You see choreography in everything he plays.

And this is not something that was planned.

It's something real, it comes from within, from a magical place.

[notes on the berimbau] ♪

[samba music] ♪

[in English] Paulinho was spectacular on stage. Spectacular!

[Narrator] In fact, Paulinho was so good live,

that several musicians who watched him playing with Sergio Mendes,

They started inviting him to record in the studio.

That's how Paulinho,

already settled in California and with a growing family,

He began to solidify his career in LA.

His magic migrated from the stage.

to the recording studios in Los Angeles.

[Paulinho, in English] I met Dizzy in San Francisco, I was playing.

That was in 1974, 1975.

He came to see us play.

That day he invited me to record on his album.

And we became lifelong friends, until he passed away.

[in Portuguese] The Dizzy

She is a very important person in my career.

Because he was the one who introduced me to Norman Granz.

Who was the president of the Pablo Records company.

[narrator] Norman Granz named his record label "Pablo"

in homage to his friend Pablo Picasso,

who created the record label's logo.

Norman Granz did everything for us.

Meeting Norman changed our lives.

[in English] He loved Black American musicians.

He was white, but he loved music.

...and the Black artists, who didn't have opportunities at that time.

He wanted to hire Paulinho for a session with Dizzy Gillespie.

for what would become her album Bahiana .

At that time, Paulinho had a contract.

I couldn't perform with another artist.

Norman asked for permission for Paulinho to play.

Sergio Mendes gave his permission, everything's fine.

Then Paulinho met Norman.

He had experience with Latinos, who were always late.

and he told me: "Look, our time isn't 10 am,

"It's not 12, it's 11, right?"

When he arrived, I was already playing.

When he entered the studio, I was already recording the track.

[ri] Minutes later he was dancing!

I have a picture of that!

From then on we became friends.

he did everything so that

If our lives were going in the right direction.

[Narrator] In addition to introducing Paulinho to some of the biggest names in jazz,

Norman's label also released two solo albums by Paulinho in the 1970s:

Now in 1977, and Happy People in 1979.

[In English] Actually, the groundwork was done here, you know!

And they sampled the best tracks!

- Yes, they sampled... That's it! - You know?

They sampled the best tracks.

[in English] The year was 1995.

We had just created the Black Eyed Peas.

And I fell in love with Brazilian music.

I don't want to get emotional.

but this guy,

thank you very much,

He gave us the tickets to travel the world.

because we sampled one of his tracks,

"Love Till The End Of Time."

I remember hearing that and saying...

["Love Till The End of Time" toca] ♪

I stayed…

Wow! I want to write a song for her!

I want to write a song for her!

["Joints & Jam", de Black Eyed Peas, toca] ♪

["Love Till The End of Time" toca] ♪

[will.i.am] Where Paulinho is playing,

I can feel the smile.

I feel that love,

I feel what he adds, beyond the percussion.

That invisible layer of:

"What is causing me this wonderful feeling?"

♪

That!

[vocalize]

Once again.

[vocalize]

[canta "Joints & Jam"]

[canta "Joints & Jam"]

["Joints & Jam" concludes]

[vocalize]

♪ Paulinho on the drums, we're here rocking it! ♪

♪ Having fun ♪

♪ Brazilians in Los Angeles I am a child of Soul ♪

♪ And you know I have everything in the palm of my hand ♪

♪ And I'm going to travel all over the world El Mundo ♪

♪ Good heavens, let's do this for love, everyone ♪

♪ Don't stop! Let's do it for love, everyone! ♪

♪ No violence, no brutality ♪

♪ Mr. LOVE loves you ♪

♪ Why is this the beat, it's the music. Drum of what? Music ♪

♪ Do it right, use it until you can't refuse anymore. Just like that ♪

♪ That's it, check it out... ♪

[vocalize]

[ri]

Very cool.

[John, in English] I met him at the Mill Run Theater,

in the Chicago suburbs.

He was playing with Sergio Mendes.

We were very impressed by his energy, you know?

[in English] That's funny.

When you get involved, the adrenaline kicks in and you change.

You just... go!

I can't describe it.

[samba music] ♪

I was working with The Miracles.

That was after Smokey Robinson left.

We were trying to convince this guy to record with us.

When he arrived, we were ready to record.

He came, played with us,

The song reached the top of the charts worldwide.

We were all lucky, very lucky.

And I think that opened all the doors for me!

- Well… - You know,

When you play a track called "Number 1", what happens?

Yes, people pay attention. - They pay attention.

["Love Machine", by The Miracles, plays] ♪

[Narrator] In 1976, Paulinho was starting to get noticed.

Musicians and producers wanted to work with him.

The time had come to leave Sergio Mendes' band.

I don't think we've ever played together on stage; we've mostly recorded in the studio.

Were you in "I Will Survive"?

["I Will Survive", by Gloria Gaynor, plays] ♪

Look at that smile!

♪

[Paulinho] You feel it's coming. You feel the pressure.

[Narrator] The first time happened right after they arrived in LA.

Sudden headaches forced Paulinho to leave the recording sessions.

The pain was unbearable.

You just want to lie down.

You stop functioning, the pain drains all your strength.

[In English] They thought Paulinho had a brain tumor,

Nobody knew what it was.

[stutters] It was really bad.

Really bad.

[narrator] Unpredictable, unbearable, intractable.

For more than 20 years there would be no diagnosis.

Only pain and uncertainty.

I went to the best doctor,

The guy started sticking needles into my body.

You know, like, what is it?

"It's getting worse!", I told him.

"Doctor, I don't mean to be rude, but these needles are only making things worse!"

Once, Paulinho was watching TV and started shouting:

"Arice, Arice, this is what I have!"

"This guy is going to talk about my headache!"

He comes and describes exactly what I have.

[Narrator] Paulinho was finally diagnosed with "cluster headaches".

There was still no cure.

But the use of oxygen controlled the pain.

and helped Paulinho to continue playing.

But I suffered a lot, man.

I had to get a bridge because they extracted my tooth...

I was saying, "Dude, what is this?"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Too late, man!"

[ri]

You're laughing now, but...

He knows?

Ultimately, this helped me move on, man.

I was returning from Hawaii. And I met Michael on the plane.

We did a long tour of Japan, and on the way back, on the plane, I heard a voice.

and it was Michael Jackson!

You know, he was very shy,

And I wouldn't bother him.

Suddenly he came and asked if I was Brazilian, I said yes,

We talked for a bit and that's how we met!

Then he invited me to play with The Jacksons.

From there we did many projects.

- I worked with Michael… - [phone rings in the background]

…in over 40 tracks!

"Hello, this is Quincy, is Paulinho there?"

"Quincy," he didn't mention the last name.

More to the voice...

["The Dude", by Quincy Jones, plays] ♪

♪

[Quincy, in English] When did we meet, man?

[Paulinho] When we worked on the movie The Unforgettable Magician.

- [Quincy] "The Wiz"! - [Paulinho] Yes.

- It's been a long time. - It was in 1977.

[samba music] ♪

I produced Michael Jackson soon after.

Off The Wall.

Man, this is awesome.

[in English] You had such precise timing, you were a perfect metronome.

Flawless, perfect.

[in English] His timing was so impeccable,

It was out of this world.

["Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", de Michael Jackson, toca]

♪

In 79, 80,

That's when my father bought a radiola, as we called it.

And the headphones, they started painting headphones, and we…

And I would sit there, engrossed in the liner notes of the LPs.

And I was crazy about those guys, Earth, Wind & Fire, Michael,

Among the millions of others you've already recorded.

And when I saw his name, I said, "Wow, he's Brazilian!"

And we had this culture that Brazilians, they…

They would hardly get involved in that music system, that kind of thing.

[notes on the cuíca] ♪

[coach] Is that okay with you, Paulinho?

[Paulinho] Michael and Quincy said: "Paulinho..."

[thoughtful]

"...do whatever you think is appropriate for that track."

For me, it was very important to add something.

that had a signature,

The cuíca is an instrument that is not widely used in the United States.

e has its roots in Brazil.

We recorded it and I was very happy, it was a big success.

And the drawing turned out perfect, nothing complicated, just a...

[imitates cuica sound]

["Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", de Michael Jackson, toca]

I don't think of Paulinho as a percussionist.

Paulinho is an artist.

[notes on the berimbau] ♪

[Herb] He is special, unique.

Musically, he is intuitive.

This music is coming through him, it's coming from a deep place.

straight from the source,

And that's very beautiful, you don't find that normally.

[notes on the berimbau] ♪

At that moment,

we all start at the same time.

It was the beginning of the great record industry.

We were all recording.

- [Paulinho] Yes. - All the studios were booked...

You couldn't get a studio at that time.

[Paulinho] We worked a lot.

You should be doing five or six recordings a day!

It was nonstop.

[in English] We bought our first answering machine.

[Paulinho, on the recording] This is Paulinho da Costa, please leave your message.

["Workin' Day and Night" toca] ♪

[in English] I know many arrangers who tell him every note to be played,

I know how to do that too.

But that's not how you make great music.

that connects with God.

You have to set up a good structure and let him be Paulinho!

♪

It was a very active time.

You have to understand that the 1970s in LA,

Los Angeles was the recording capital, period.

No other place in the world came close to LA.

In an area of three or four blocks, what was happening was extraordinary.

You had Barry White recording in a studio,

Earth Wind & Fire em outro, The Crusaders, Minnie Riperton, Bill Withers,

All of this happening within an 800m radius!

["Do You Love What You Feel", de Rufus & Chaka Khan, toca]

[George, in English] That moment was very exciting,

Because finally African Americans have reached the top.

[in English] When he plays, he is very expressive.

He really expresses himself through body language.

It could be a simple rattle; he feels it in his jaw.

He feels everything, every heartbeat has an expression.

So every recording session was a show.

[Nathan and Paulinho play "Dejà Vu"]

Sometimes I hum while I play.

Michael once told me:

"Paulinho...", he was looking at me.

"You take the rhythm in your mouth,

You move your mouth to the groove, man!

I had never paid attention to that before.

[belt]

That's it! - [Nathan] That was crazy!

[Carlinhos] has a percussion truck.

What did you take to the studio? What's that like?

Everyone says: "He arrived with a percussion truck."

[Roberto] stopped a truck at the studio door and went inside…

All that equipment, all those cabinets, right?

Do you understand? Then I said: "Wow, Paulinho,

I forgot to ask you to bring a…

There's one thing, man, that I wanted to try.

That little ballerina ring they wear on their finger, right?

"Do it like this..." [imitates the sound of a cymbal]

That kind of thing, you know?

But I forgot to tell you, man."

Then he said, "Oh, really? Wait a minute."

Then he opened a small drawer on top, like this:

I think the second one before the last one,

The one at the top, you know?

He opened the little drawer and did this…

- "Is this it?" - [cymbal sound]

♪ All this that you, my love, give me ♪

♪ All this that you, my love, give me… ♪

[Lalo, in English] There's a lot of talk about "soul brothers".

Paulinho is truly my soul brother.

[They vocalize "Manteca" by Lalo Schifrin]

[belt]

That's it, man! - I remember!

When I met Lalo, he already had a very strong reputation.

Very strong.

When he entered the studio, people trembled.

Seriously, no joke.

Because he had composed the theme song for Mission Impossible!

It was as if we had known each other for 20 years.

- Right on time. - Right on time.

But the difference is that he was very famous and I was a nobody.

I was just a little boy trying to break into the music scene...

- In my book you were already famous. - [Paulinho laughs]

I hope my countrymen don't misunderstand me.

I was born in Argentina.

But I left Argentina because I was running away from tango.

[ri]

Tango doesn't have groove. And I like groove.

In Brazil they have groove,

In the United States they have groove, with jazz,

And if they don't have groove, forget it.

This is my problem, and this is my solution.

[non-piano notes] ♪

[Paulinho] Dizzy used to say: "Man, Lalo,

when I pick up my trumpet and play 'Manteca'..."

- Do you remember "Manteca"? - Yes.

[non-piano notes] ♪

[Paulinho] Dizzy Gillespie, who was his mentor and opened doors for him.

It also opened doors for me.

And that's the connection.

Dizzy put lyrics to it:

"I'm never going back to Georgia."

♪ I'm never going back to Georgia ♪

♪ I'm never going back to Georgia... ♪

[Paulinho] ♪ I'm never going back to Georgia... ♪

[vocalize]

[ri]

Oh man... That's Dizzy, that's Dizzy!

[ri] But he was...

[Carlinhos] Look, you're a sincere person.

- The whole world calls it a cowbell. - [Paulinho, in Portuguese] Exactly.

[Carlinhos] But we call it a cowbell.

[notes not on keyboard] ♪

- Several albums that I participated in… - [Carlinhos agrees]

…which are successful and you know them.

Earth, Wind & Fire, "Serpentine Fire".

[imitates the beat of "Serpentine Fire"]

[plays intro of "Serpentine Fire"]

[in English] Man, that gives me the creeps!

We started with this melody...

[vocalize]

What I love about "Serpentine Fire"

The thing is, there wasn't much conversation beforehand.

Maurice said, "Let's just let the vibe flow."

And it was interesting because it was a different track.

And it reached number one!

["Serpentine Fire" toca] ♪

[imitates music beats]

And that's him!

What are you ringing, cowbells?

- Exactly. - Was it like a drum and cowbell?

Something happened, Greg.

We recorded the track and I left that cowbell aside.

because that moment was so special

I said, "I'm never using that cowbell again ."

- Never again. - That's it. So I put it away.

That's where we start this film,

I was in my storage room.

- And I found the cowbell! - I see.

- It was completely rusted. - Really?

- It's all rusty. It's here. - Okay, I have to see it.

You have to see it, it's all rusty.

And I said, "I should clean it, paint it."

No, that will take away the magic!

I ended up not doing anything, he's here.

I have to see the cowbell, show it to me.

♪

- [Greg] Is this him? - [Paulinho] This is the guy.

This is the magic cowbell from "Serpentine Fire".

♪

And when we had the track ready, you arrived and...

[imitates music beats]

[stutters] And that line...

He wrote the song.

♪

- [Verdine] Is this him? - [Paulinho] Yes, look, he's here.

That's it.

That's it.

♪

[Paulinho] One day, Maurice White called me.

Of course, they were my idols!

I was apprehensive because I didn't know what was going to happen.

I walk into the studio and Maurice White is sitting at the table,

He is the producer.

Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and others are also present...

of all the other guys who are top-tier artists!

I go in and they tell me:

"Hey Paulinho, we've heard a lot about you, it's great to have you with us."

I said, "Thanks, man."

He said, "I'm going to play a track here, see what you can do."

And they played…

[vocaliza "Brazilian Rhyme", de Earth Wind & Fire]

It was the first thing they played for me.

[tocam "Brazilian Rhyme"] ♪

[vocaliza "Brazilian Rhyme"] ♪

♪

[Paulinho] I have my equipment

And while they play, I'm thinking about what to do.

And I did the following.

"I know what will work."

I got some special spoons.

They were very special spoons.

They play with great simplicity and energy.

They make the music speak, and I went along with them!

And the timing has to be very precise.

I thought to myself, "I'm going to put my heart into it and play."

So I grabbed my spoons and...

[imitates music beats]

♪

Suddenly Maurice said: "Stop everything! That's it!"

You're one of us, man! That's right!

They recorded it, and that was that.

♪

[vocalize]

♪ ["Brazilian Rhyme" finaliza]

[belt]

That's how it's done!

[They sing] ♪ That's how it's done... ♪

Thank you, friends, thank you!

So many memories, guys!

What is it? You're going to kill me!

You're killing me!

- I'm too old for this. - [Greg] Yeah, right!

[Paulinho] What is it?

Man, that's a lot of memories, Philip!

[Man] Listen, a month ago

We recovered the master tapes.

You need to hear this song.

When you listen to the percussion channels,

I think you covered everything in this track.

In this category. It's ridiculous!

[They celebrate]

- There it is! - [Paulinho] That's the song, man!

That's the one!

[celebrates]

So beautiful!

Thanks, man. That's what I was talking about.

It doesn't get any better than this!

Maurice White me disse:

"Dude, when you hit the claves..."

He loves keys.

"You don't just hit the clubs, you use your body!"

He's like a boxer, you know?

The best punch comes when he makes the full movement.

"It's like a tennis player, who uses their body."

- I love it here! - Paulinho!

[They celebrate]

[ri]

[vocalize]

Two halves!

["In The Stone", de Earth Wind & Fire, toca]

[shout]

That's very accurate!

What? Don't mess with the guy!

♪

[Paulinho sings]

[They celebrate]

[Paulinho] Dude, thank you so much!

[excited shout]

[vocalize]

- [Paulinho laughs] - [Man] I told you!

That's it! - Yeah, man!

Yeah, man, awesome!

That's how the whole track is, man, the whole track.

♪ ["In The Stone", finaliza]

I would go on to play on so many of their albums, so many hits...

You know, they were already very successful,

But I managed to get on that boat.

They opened the door and I just went along with them.

["And Love Goes On" toca] ♪

[narrator] In the late 1970s,

Paulinho was already demonstrating his ability to play with artists of various styles.

He didn't realize he was building something.

The most incredible and eclectic biography in the history of modern music.

He is a very special person to me.

A very special musician, a very special member of my family!

We spent a lot of time together in the studio, man.

[vocalize]

[pop music] ♪

[vocalize]

[George, in English] Over the years, Quincy Jones has developed

and modernized the industry so much,

e uses this to its fullest advantage.

I've heard amazing things he's done on other recordings.

If you've ever listened to a Quincy Jones album

Or something produced by him, you know what I mean.

["Ai No Corrida", by Quincy Jones, plays] ♪

[in English] It was 1980.

♪

- I used to tease him like that! - That's right.

♪ ["Ai No Corrida" ends]

OK!

[in English] Then Quincy said, "I just want to know one thing:

Do you want to make the best contemporary jazz album in the world?

I thought to myself, "The greatest jazz album has ever been made."

"Forget about Charlie Parker."

Then he said, "Or do you want to go for the jugular?"

I said, "Quincy...", and laughed.

[ri]

"Quincy, go to the jugular, dear".

[belt]

"That's all I want to know," you know how he is.

- I know. - "That's all I want to know, baby."

Then we talked about you.

[Quincy] Paulinho is the essence of Brazil.

And I've always had an affinity for that.

Because I still think this is an extension of…

[stutters] If we dare to go back in time

and try to make the connection

to discover the essence of black music,

We have to go back to ragtime, swing, jazz,

Country jazz bands, slave spirituals, etc.

Some of the most accessible African roots

They are still available in Brazil.

And Paulinho comes from that school. I've been to Brazil about 17 times.

The samba school, the carnival music,

the merging of roots...

[thoughtful]

...European and African women from Brazil,

Paulinho is the essence of all this.

[vocalize]

You used to pick things up off the floor!

[belt]

With that smile on her face.

But everything was real, it was real!

You don't mess with a guy who works with that level of conviction.

["Give Me The Night" toca] ♪

[cantarola "Give Me The Night"]

"That's not going to work, Quincy!"

[cantarola "Give Me The Night"]

"What?"

"Don't use that voice, man!"

[cantarola "Give Me The Night"]

[ri]

[cantarola "Give Me The Night"]

"It won't work, Quincy!"

[ri]

That's great!

How much do you want for the bongos?

[belt]

[Paulinho] I think the way I was accepted

by so many different groups,

jazz, pop, R&B, Rock and Roll,

It was because I always carry it.

in my blood

That groove, the Brazilian groove .

One, two, three and…

[rhythmic clapping]

- [vocalizes] - [soft pop music]

[sings "Use Me"]

[sings "Use Me"]

[sings "Use Me"]

[Ray, in English] I remember LA back then, it was interesting,

In Glendale they used to say:

"No dogs, no cats, no Jews, no blacks."

- The racism in Glendale. - [Paulinho] That's true.

[sings "Use Me"]

One day, Paulinho's instruments had been delivered.

by the transport company,

And he started pushing his equipment into the studio.

The engineer sees Paulinho and thinks he's the porter.

He shouts: "Get those drugs out of here !"

And Paulinho stays...

They knew that this guy did this with several musicians.

But nobody said anything because they needed the work and the money.

I am not!

I'm happy to do the work, but I don't need to go through this.

Paulinho says: "Excuse me, are you talking to me?".

And he says, "Did you hear me? Get those drug cases out of here!"

Paulinho says: "No problem."

Then he takes the cases out of the studio.

and leaves before the session even begins.

Next, the musicians and the contractor arrive.

And they ask: "Where's Paulinho, what happened to him?"

He says, "He was here, but he left."

That's it, I left the guy talking to himself.

Because I'm not going to waste my time with him. That would be giving him too many chances.

I left the guy talking to himself and went home!

[sings "Use Me"]

Do you know how hard it is to feel good, Paulinho?

I'm going to warn you:

I've been in pain since 1958.

My back, my legs, I have to monitor my heart...

You know how nice it would be to go to a place...

- I understand. - ...and leave everything behind.

Yes. - Being who you are, feeling good...

You know what? Ever since I sat down here,

I hadn't realized, I don't feel any pain.

[sings "Use Me"]

[sings "Use Me"]

♪ ["Use Me" ends]

Suddenly I was involved in all kinds of music!

And in the world of rock 'n' roll, there are a lot of drugs!

I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't use drugs.

[ri] How am I going to fit in like this?

What do I do?

I found the best way to deal with it, which was to say:

"It's legal, it's OK!"

That way they didn't know if I had ever used any drugs.

Or if I was going to use it later.

I'd say, "I'm fine, thanks!", and keep going.

"Hey, man, I'm good," "I'm good"...

I've been doing this all these years...

["Runnin", de Earth Wind & Fire, toca] ♪

[Paulinho] For me, less is more.

And I play using that concept.

I only play what's necessary, at the right time.

♪ ["Runnin" ends]

[narrator] In the mid-1980s,

Many musicians and producers have also adopted the concept of "less is more".

That is, fewer percussionists and more electronic drums.

Paulinho, maybe we should buy some new equipment,

You can do better.

Paulinho said: "No, everything's fine."

And then the phone starts ringing even more!

["Open Your Heart", by Madonna, plays] ♪

♪

[in English] We enter the synthetic world of programmable electronic drums.

But it was always important to have the human connection as well.

["La Isla Bonita", by Madonna, plays] ♪

They improved the machine to have some groove.

But it's not the same thing!

But when you combine the precision of the machine

with a bit of human error,

This combination is powerful!

I remember the first time I saw you with an electronic drum kit.

foi is Chaka Khan & Rufus, "Ain't Nobody".

[in English] He felt the beat and began to create a pattern.

This made him one of the most incredible musicians.

He contributed a great deal to those projects.

In other words, you take it from that Michael Jackson recording.

And something very big disappears.

["Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" toca] ♪

Paulinho is a Master of Groove.

♪

♪

♪ ["Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" finaliza]

[in English] I've been told many, many times

to buy electronic instruments.

No, I don't need to!

I'll put my stop on yours, and then we'll see how it goes!

And I'm still here to this day!

[cantarola "Ain't Nobody"]

[Stewart, in English] So for me, the idea of recording things,

the magic of keeping things, storing them,

It was so much more important than playing live.

Because when you perform live, you're performing for 100, 200, 200 thousand people.

It doesn't matter, it's just that moment, if you were there, great.

But recordings, man...

Recordings live on, they live forever and ever...

["All Night Long" toca] ♪

♪

♪

[Paulinho] Inside my head I sing what I'm playing.

If you can't sing along to what's playing, you're not really there.

[imitates drumming sounds]

["Rhythm of the Night", de DeBarge, toca] ♪

[Paulinho] DeBarge, here he is.

♪

[narrator] By this point, Paulinho's percussion could be heard.

every time you turned on the radio.

But he also left his fingerprints.

in some of the most iconic movie soundtracks.

Paulinho isn't just on our radios, the guy's in our cinemas too!

["(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" toca] ♪

[in English] I produced a track called "Up Where We Belong",

with Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes,

for the film The Force of Destiny

And ended up winning a Grammy, an Oscar, Song of the Year, it swept everything.

And I remember calling Ben Barrett,

that hired for Motown,

And he said, "I wish I had Paulinho da Costa there."

He said, "But it's a ballad, what is he going to do?"

"Playing a tambourine off-beat?"

I said, "No, man, I don't even want to explain why I want him there."

I only want him there because this song is corny.

It has no groove .

And Paulinho is going to put something in it.

or something within us...

[ri] ...no studio,"

And I remember that I wanted to make the track looser,

And I knew the drummer would play hard.

if you weren't there.

And that's one of his great skills; drummers love playing with Paulinho.

I remember, I started playing a combination of rattles.

which gave a...

[imitates a rattle]

That's it! And that's how it was!

That's how it was!

You're right, that's what happened, I remember.

[single-speaker]

- And that's how we recorded it. - Now I remember,

It was a groove beneath the groove , "the groove under the groove".

We recorded it and that was it, man.

[in English] Another thing that people don't know

It's because Quincy put you in The Color Purple , remember?

- Exactly! - Do you remember that scene?

Great times, I was lucky.

[African percussion] ♪

[narrator] In the late 1980s,

Paulinho had contributed

for the best-selling album of all time,

I had recorded with the greatest singer of the decade,

and worked with the most successful director in Hollywood.

The poor boy from Irajá was collaborating with the biggest names in showbiz.

The 1990s arrived.

And Paulinho still refused to lose ground to electronic drums.

in hits like this one.

["The Beginning", by Seal, plays] ♪

[narrator] The list of legends he collaborated with continued to grow.

And it wasn't just on the radio or in the movies,

The guy was everywhere!

[Presenter, in English] Arsenio Hall!

[pop music] ♪

[Presenter] "And on today's program, percussionist Paulinho da Costa!"

♪

[Arsenio, in English] Paulinho da Costa!

♪ [pop music ends]

[shouts excitedly]

[audience applauds]

Boy!

Paulinho da Costa!

Give me a groove ,

but a groove with the vibe of your land.

- The vibe of my land? - The vibe of your land.

Let's go to Brazil, girls...

Anywhere that has Black people!

[batucadas]

[audience gives ovation]

[Paulinho] That's it!

[audience gives ovation]

Method!

Take me to another country.

[stutters] This country!

[square]

This is Africa! I want to go!

[audience gives ovation]

[Arsenio sings]

[narrator] Although Paulinho had traveled a lot early in his career,

He went abroad more often.

He didn't know much about Brazil.

[in English] Excuse me, but... Have you ever been to Bahia, Donald?

- [in English] No! - [Zé Carioca] No? Well, then let's go!

If you go to Bahia, my friend, you'll never come back.

♪ And he was very lucky, and he is very lucky ♪

♪ And you will have lots of luck… ♪

And you, have you ever been to Bahia?

- No no?

Okay, let's go then!

[samba music] ♪

It was the first time I went to Bahia.

I'm Brazilian, I didn't know Bahia...

[Narrator] Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil.

Centuries ago,

It was the main port of entry for enslaved Africans in the Americas.

Today, it represents the strongest cultural connection that Brazil has with Africa.

[Carlinhos] Percussion connects. It connects with the spirit.

It's not about the guitar,

It's not because of the double bass,

It's not through the keyboard that the Saint descends.

It goes down through the drum.

[Quincy, in English] For me, it goes beyond Brazil, you know?

Angola... is Africa!

- [Paulinho laughs] - He has Africa too, you know?

Angola...

He's the godfather of music!

The music came from there.

True. Africa.

Angola, macumba!

[woman vocalizes]

[in Portuguese] The reason I went to the macumba ceremonies…

To play, you understand? Because it has a drum.

- [Cabula samba music] - [Woman sings]

[speaking in an African-based language]

[vozerio]

- [notes on the musical triangle] - [Paulinho] There!

[imitates the sound of a musical triangle]

[belt]

[Paulinho] Hey! Awesome!

[stutters] No… Go on, my brother. Wonderful.

We're listening to that sound from up there.

- From up there. - Everything's great.

- [Man] Good service. - Play a little more for us.

[notes on the musical triangle]

No, not there, not there!

[Paulinho laughs]

What is it? Is there something fishy in there?

- Taboca! - [Carlinhos] Put some taboca there for us.

[Man] Taboca is delicate, if you hit it, it will break.

[Paulinho] Break it! Wonderful.

- [Carlinhos] Look, master! - [Paulinho] Good girl!

Taboca. Can I grab one here?

- That's great, my brother. - [Paulinho] Wonderful.

[Carlinhos] All this percussion that we end up with

translating and bringing it to the world,

- She's the one who lives through it. - [Paulinho] Exactly.

She comes from our experience, because we've absorbed that experience.

and took it to the major music venues around the world.

Because we preserve primal culture in the world.

This is very serious for us.

["Nightshift" by The Commodores plays] ♪

[Carlinhos] But, at the same time, what does this man do,

of intense rhythm,

To be both overflowing with generosity and humble, to the point of revealing one's secrets.

To open your tools, to open your kitchen.

to season things that often need salt.

To be funny.

This is the percussionist.

♪

♪

[in English] We made a record with a guy called Lamont Dozier.

He said, "I want to make an African-American record."

I had never heard that term before.

So I asked, "Do you have anything?"

We hadn't even greeted each other.

He walks over to the piano and plays.

"Going Back To My Roots"

He was tasked with keeping the recording somewhere between Africa and America.

Paulinho was amazing, man!

This is one of my favorite recordings.

And it's because of you!

- [in English] Thanks, man. - We turned your volume up!

["Going Back To My Roots", toca] ♪

[narrator] More than four decades after leaving Rio and Irajá,

after years of missing Brazil

Despite all the success he built in America,

Paulinho da Costa was ready to go home.

A journey back to his homeland.

Back to drinking from the source.

♪

[in Portuguese] I live on the other side of the world,

But my heart still... belongs to this little piece here.

I left here from Irajá.

I was born in Irajá.

[samba music] ♪

[Paulinho, in English] Irajá is located in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro.

I was born in Irajá, Zeca was born in Irajá.

Zeca makes music of the street, of the people.

A real stop.

This is special!

People sense it and go crazy!

Irajá is a breeding ground for great musicians.

Irajá has a ton of drummers.

[chorus] ♪ Go, Paulinho… ♪

Oh!

[They laugh and celebrate]

[Zeca] I gave my two cents, didn't I?

[in Portuguese] This little square here, I had some good times with my brothers,

with my family, my mother, my sisters.

We were walking around here, there was…

several little friends that we had here.

Every now and then we'd have some casual soccer games here.

It even painted a rhythm, too.

Because my mother liked to sing.

So, every now and then, we'd start banging on some tin cans here and there, and stuff like that.

♪ Mommy, I want Mommy, I want ♪

♪ Mommy, I want to nurse… ♪

And she used to sing that to us, I remember that.

[stutters] I used to hit him, when I was little, I used to hit him…

[vocals] I didn't quite fit in with that much…

[thoughtful]

Perfectly, but it was, more or less…

Right? Something like that…

♪ I'm from Rio, I'm from Madureira ♪

♪ Tabajara raises dust ♪

♪ My sweetheart invited me to this awesome party ♪

♪ Here comes Portela, you rascal! The samba has arrived… ♪

- Yeah! - [Paulinho] That's it!

- Boy… - [Paulinho] Oh, boy.

Your home, your home.

Thank you very much. That's a...

My heart is already…

[Carlinhos] Good sons always return home, right?

- This is the house… Look over there. - [Paulinho] Wonderful.

The battery is here, welcoming you.

I could already hear the sound. Oh, look! That's the father...

[samba music] ♪

[Monarco] Hey, my Paulinho. We're here.

[Paulinho] Wonderful, thank you very much.

How are you doing, Paulinho?

- [Noca] Wow! - [Monarco] Damn!

Thank you very much.

Yes, raptor! FAIR!

Wonder!

[ri]

Thank you very much.

Oh, my friend, how wonderful!

♪

[batucadas]

[Director] How long has it been since you last came here?

Look, it already has…

- He's going to be 45 years old. - That's about right.

- Forty-five years that I… - In 1970.

Exactly.

[samba music] ♪

[in English] I was happy to see that they still carry on the tradition.

[chorus] ♪ Awake, oh great youth ♪

♪ Its colors are so beautiful ♪

♪ Your values are endless ♪

♪ Dear Portela, you are everything in life to me ♪

♪ For me ♪

♪ Portela, its colors are in the flag of Brazil ♪

♪ And in heaven too… ♪

[Man] Give us a little taste now, just the two of us, come on!

Alone? But... Wow, that's great.

It's awkward being surrounded by all those guys, isn't it?

[Carlinhos] Master.

[thoughtful] We have a question.

How old were you when you joined the drumming group?

Look here. My mirror is right here.

There!

At this age, I was here in this…

In this wonderful place.

I want to say thank you. I'm emotional.

I want to thank…

[sighs]

[batucadas]

[Paulinho, in English] The way they play

and they show their affection for me,

They know more about the projects I've been involved in than I do myself!

It's incredible! They know more about my musical life than I do myself!

They've been studying me for a long time.

"But how do you know that?" "We know!"

And they know the beats, every move I make because they've studied me.

I don't even remember anymore!

- [in Portuguese] Portela! - [they cheer]

That was amazing!

For me, it's the best gift one could receive.

It wasn't easy.

I went through a lot of hardship to get here.

["Ain't No Sunshine", de Bill Withers, toca]

I don't know why I succeeded, or how I succeeded.

But it's nice when people say you're talented.

Without you realizing it, just like I don't realize it.

I'm not even aware of the talent I have.

I'm still looking...

[voice breaking] ...I'm still looking.

[sighs]

My mother taught me that I should...

[hesita] ...respect everyone.

[throat clearing]

"No one needs to know our secrets."

If we don't have food, and we go to someone's house...

that offers food,

You say: 'I'm fine, thank you, no need'.

'I'll eat at home', 'I already ate'.

[funga] That wasn't true, we were hungry.

[echoed voice] "We need to eat! It was pure necessity!"

We need to eat!

The reason why they invented the first drum.

[echoed voice] "We were hungry."

Long journey, man.

But here we are.

We're here. [ri]

[Monarch] But now I'm going to invite you to the following:

Wearing our blue and white uniform at Carnival

- and parade with our Portela. - [Paulinho, in Portuguese] That's it!

That's already done...

[vocalize]

[ri]

Do you want me to put it on?

[stutters] I'm not very good at hats, but does this look okay?

Should I tighten it more? Is that okay?

- [Director, in English] Ready to rock? - [In English] Ready to rock!

[in Portuguese] Put one there. There…

[vocalize]

[samba music] ♪

[in English] It all started with samba, you know?

And that's where I come from.

♪

[Paulinho] I'm very excited!

This is the moment when everyone takes a stand.

And this is just the beginning!

[stutters] The energy, man!

Can you feel the energy?

[samba music] ♪

[Paulinho] Everyone carrying their bags,

wearing their costumes,

Everyone helping each other...

[stutters] ...it's wonderful!

♪

Look at this, man.

The guys who made history go inside it!

Who knows, maybe we'll fly to the moon on it, man! [laughs]

You never know...

And when the school is formed,

They come in... oh my God, it's so beautiful...

It's magic!

[chorus] ♪ My children come to worship me ♪

♪ To revere samba ♪

♪ Make way, I'm about to introduce myself ♪

♪ I am the Eagle. Let whoever wants to talk about me, talk about me ♪

♪ But it's best to show respect, I'm Portela ♪

♪ On this journey, one more star ♪

♪ That will shine In the Madureira pavilion ♪

♪ I'm going to ask for passage ♪

♪ In search of gold ♪

♪ Your shine fascinates me ♪

♪ I want that treasure map to find treasures ♪

♪ Open the window ♪

♪ For the world that Paul created ♪

♪ On the other side ♪

♪ Can anyone see this love? ♪

♪ My children come to worship me ♪

♪ To revere samba ♪

[muffled] ♪ Make way… ♪

The vibe there was incredible, man!

It's like I'm going back...

Probably 55 years old.

I'm coming back... back to the future!

[Orchestral version of "Aquarela do Brasil" plays] ♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

["Aquarela do Brasil" orchestral version, concludes]

["The Groove Under The Groove", toca] ♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪

♪ ["The Groove Under The Groove" finaliza]