Singer Shelley Dunstone is getting ready to transport audiences to romantic Rio this Fringe season.
In 'Bossa de Novo' ('Bossa Again'), Shelley will be joined by Brazilian guitarist Daniel Gosling, for a night of soaking up the sounds of Rio in the '60s. What better place to do that than Adelaide Fringe, and what better time than around summer?
Shelley, an Adelaide cabaret performer, has a particular affection for Brazilian music from the '60s. The former lawyer is consistently staging her own performances, and has even taken her passion for music across the world to Brazil.
In 2015, Shelley presented 'Non-Stop Brazil' with Brazilian guitarist Enéias Raasch, and in that same year, she jumped on a plane to perform with Enéias in his home town, Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil, in a show called 'Australia e Brasil com Bossa'. That's not the only time she's visited, either!
Back home at Adelaide Fringe this year, Shelley and guitarist Daniel Gosling will perform their favourite Bossa Nova songs, and Brazilian popular music. But before they hit the stage, Shelley spoke to us about the show.
Tell us about you as a performer – where does your love of music come from?
While I was growing up, we always had music playing in the house. At school, I sang in the choir. It was a serious, disciplined choir, and we won several national awards. We sang some very challenging works, and from this I learned a lot about music – much more than I realised at the time. After leaving school I didn't sing for many years, but then a friend persuaded me to try singing in a rock band. To my surprise, I loved it, and that's how I got back into music. A few years later, I discovered a nightclub in the city called La Boheme, which held an open mic night for cabaret once a month. It was pretty scary the first time I stood in that spotlight, but I went along each month to gain stage time, They also held workshops, and that's where I began to develop my own cabaret shows, which I've now been doing for the past ten years.
This year you’re bringing us the sounds of Rio in the ‘60s. What inspired you to explore this era/location?
I've been singing Brazilian music (Bossa Nova) for about ten years. My inspiration came from watching a video of Diana Krall's concert in Rio de Janeiro. There's a moment in that film where Diana sings in Brazilian Portuguese and the audience goes wild with excitement. I suddenly sat up on the couch and said, 'I want what she's having!' I wanted to sing their music, in their country, in their language – I wanted my own concert in Rio. Of course, that was a ridiculous idea, because I was just a hobby singer. But a couple of years later, after surviving a life-threatening illness, I challenged myself to do it. I practised my singing, learned as many Bossa Nova songs as I could, and studied Brazilian Portuguese. It's a long story, but in 2016 I achieved my goal, performing a two-hour show with some new Brazilian friends in a historic club in Copacabana in the heart of Rio. I've actually been to Brazil three times to perform, most recently in 2023. The title of the show, 'Bossa de Novo' means 'Bossa Again'.
You’ll be joined by Daniel Gosling. What can you tell us about him?
Daniel is a fantastic guitarist. He's from Brazil and has lived in Australia for about four and a half years. He's from Belo Horizonte in the State of Minas Gerais. He grew up in a musical family, surrounded by the local artistic movement known as Clube da Esquina (the Corner Club). His other musical influences have included Bossa Nova, Blues, and English Rock. He studied music at Bituca University, which had the famous composer/singer Milton Nascimento as its patron. Dedication to his art brought opportunities to perform with his music idols, including Toninho Horta, Lô Borges, Vander Lee, Juarez Moreira, Gilvan de Oliveira, Beto Lopes, Wilson Lopes.
Where do you start when putting a new show like this together?
Daniel and I performed together in Fringe 2021, so we already had a song list and experience of performing together. We're going to swap out some of the songs for new ones, and change our interpretation of others. And there will be some new stories to tell. We need to work out the best key for each song, then decide on a tempo and an arrangement, e.g. what introduction will Daniel play, how many times will we play the tune, will there be an instrumental break and how will we end the song? For me, there are always lots of lyrics to memorise, so I'm going to do a lot of walking and singing to myself.
What’s your favourite song to perform in the show?
I love them all, so it's hard to pick a favourite. I'm looking forward to performing one of our new songs, which is actually from a more recent era. It's called 'Let's Start Right Now' ('Raios de Luz' in Portuguese). It was the theme song of a popular Brazilian TV series ('Body And Soul') in the 1990s. The Brazilian version was recorded by Simone and the English version by Barbra Streisand.
Daniel Gosling
Do you have a musical inspiration? Someone you have always looked to in the music realm?
I have many music idols, and I was fortunate recently to see one of them in concert. Roberto Menescal is one of the greats from the Bossa Nova era, and he's the composer of one of the songs I'll be singing – 'Little Boat'. Last year he performed in Rio during the week I was there, in a concert to mark the 65th anniversary of Bossa Nova. I was lucky to get a ticket, because the show sold out. Menescal is 86 years old, and still very active in the music world. It was a wonderful show, and the audience got very emotional!
How do you prepare for a show? What’s your pre-show ritual?
I like to have a quiet day and rest my voice in preparation for the show. I've found it's best to get dressed at home and put on make up there, because then there's less risk of forgetting something. I will chew some gum to release any jaw tension, and do a gentle vocal warm-up. It's a mistake to sing too much during the day – it's better to save it for the show. Arriving at the venue, we will do a sound and lighting check before disappearing backstage. The last half-hour before going on stage can be stressful, so I try to relax with some deep breathing and quiet meditation.
What are you most looking forward to about Adelaide Fringe in 2024?
Fringe is synonymous with summer in Adelaide. I'm looking forward to some long, warm evenings, and seeing what some of my musician friends have cooked up.
'Bossa de Novo' plays The Ballroom at Ayers House 6-7 March, Prompt Creative Centre 8 March, and Main Theatre at Goodwood Theatre and Studios 10 March (Adelaide Fringe).
