FRANCIS HIME
Composer, singer, pianist, arranger and maestro.

Representing the best generation of composers that appeared in Brazil since the end of the 20’s (when the young Noel Rosa, Ary Barroso, Lamartine Babo, João de Barro, Ismael Silva and so many others made their debut), Francis Hime took on the role as one of the main protagonists in Brazilian popular music after the first half of the 60’s. It would be impossible to write the history of our music in the past few decades without highlighting Francis Hime in a very special way. On the map of MPB, all tributaries flow to Francis Hime’s estuary talent.

Tom Jobim is a piano, Caymmi, a guitar, Vinicius, a pen, Noel, a white suit. If we use the analogy, Francis Hime is an orchestra. A symphonic orchestra. Not a regular orchestra, based exclusively on strings, wood, and ties, but a rich formation of honky-tonk metals, crying cavaquinhos, and samba tambourines. If Rio’s music is a fusion – all the sounds of Brazil flowing together to an estuary where they mix and gain rhythm and density – Francis is this same fusion. To all these Brazilian rhythms, Francis lends his inspired refinement and borrows beauty and vitality. These are not empty words: Francis Hime (now that Villa-Lobos, Radamés Gnatalli, Tom Jobim, and Luizinho Eça aren’t among us) is a composer with a control of skills that allows creation flights.

Francis Hime studied piano since the age of six at the Brazilian Conservatory of Music. In 1963 starts his partnership with Vinicius de Moraes, with whom he composed numerous songs such as: “Sem mais adeus, “Anoiteceu”, “A dor a mais”, Teresa sabe sambar” and others. At that time, starts also to compose with Ruy Guerra songs as “Minha” ( recorded by Elis Regina, Tony Bennet, Bill Evans and many others ) “Último canto”, “Por um amor maior” and others. Participated in several festivals of popular music in the sixties, when his songs were sung by Elis Regina, Roberto Carlos, Jair Rodrigues, MPB- 4 and others.

In 1969 went to the States, where he spent four years studying composition, orchestration and film tracking with Lalo Schifrin, David Raksin, Paul Glass, Albert Harris, and Hugo Friedhopfer.
Bach in Rio, in 1973, recorded his first album by Odeon Records. At that time, always making the music, he starts composing with Chico Buarque, great hits as “Atrás da porta”, “Trocando em miudos” , “Meu caro amigo” , “Pivete” , ” Passaredo ” , “Amor Barato” , “A noiva da cidade”, “Embarcação”, “Vai passar”.

In 1973, starts scoring for films as “A Estrela sobe”, “Dona Flor e seus dois maridos”, both directed by Bruno Barreto, “O homem célebre”, “Republica dos assassinos”, both directed by Miguel Faria, “A noiva da cidade”, by Alex Vianny, Marilia e Marina, by Luis Fernando Goulart, “O homem que comprou o mundo”, by Eduardo Coutinho, Marcados para viver”, by Maria do Rosário, “Lição de amor”, by Eduardo Escorel. Two of these scores were awarded at Gramado´s film festival and “Coruja de Ouro” for best scoring of the year.

For the theater, he wrote scores for: “Dura lex sed lex no cabelo só gumex” (Oduvaldo Viana Filho), “O rei de Ramos” (Dias Gomes), “A menina e o vento” (Maria Clara Machado), “Belas figuras” (Ziraldo), “Foi bom, meu bem” (Alberto Abreu), “O banquete” (Mario de Andrade), “Pinoquio” (A. Collodi), , “Ta ruço no açougue” ( grupo “Tem folga na direção”), “Na sauna” (Nell Dunn), and “Love letters” (A. R. Gurney). Known as one of the most talented songwriters in Brazil, Francis is specially gifted in his versatility on the various brazilian rythms, also writing sambas , frevos, modinhas, calangos, choros, etc… For his eclectic “repertoire”, Francis has a non less eclectic and talented group of partners writing lyrics for his songs, such as Geraldo Carneiro, Milton Nascimento, Olivia Hime, Gilberto Gil, Paulo Cesar Pinheiro, Cacaso, Capinan, Adriana Calcanhotto, Paulinho da Viola, Lenine, Joyce , Moraes Moreira, Georges Moustaki, Livingston and Evans, Sergio Bardotti ( other than the already mentioned Chico Buarque, Vinicius de Moraes and Ruy Guerra ). He also wrote music for poems by Fernando Pessoa, Manoel Bandeira, Castro Alves.

As an arranger , Francis worked for : Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Georges Moustaki, Caetano Veloso, Clara Nunes,Toquinho, Elba Ramalho, Vania Bastos, Fafá de Belém ,Olívia Hime, MPB 4 and Chico Buarque (to whom, he made the musical direction of four albuns ).
As a composer , he has songs recorded by Elis Regina, Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa, Ivan Lins, Djavan, Tony Bennett ,Bill Evans, Kenny Burrel, Lany Hall, João Bosco, Lenine, Beth Carvalho, Nara Leão, Elizete Cardoso, Ângela Maria, Luiz Eça, Toquinho, Zélia Duncan, Olivia Hime , Daniela Mercury, Simone, Nana Caymmi, Wanda Sá, Joyce, Adriana Calcanhotto, Paulinho da Viola, Fafá de Belém, MPB 4, Georges Moustaki.

Since the eighties Francis started to write also classical compositions.
In 1986, he wrote his symphony n°1, performed in São Paulo and Campinas, by the Orquestra Sinfônica de Campinas conducted by Benito Juarez, and in Recife by the Orquestra Sinfônica de Pernambuco conducted by Osman Gióia . Francis, himself conducted the OSB (Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira) in 1993, performing this symphony.
In 1988, Francis wrote “Carnavais for choral and orchestra” over a poem specially written, by Geraldo Carneiro, performed with the Orquestra Sinfônica de Campinas and CORALUSP, conducted by Benito Juarez.
In 1997, Francis wrote the symphonic score of “Terra Encantada”.

In 2000, he wrote the Sinfonia do Rio de Janeiro de São Sebastião in 5 movements (Lundú, Modinha, Choro, Samba and Canção brasileira), with lyrics by Geraldo Carneiro and Paulo César Pinheiro. The “premiere” was performed at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, with Lenine, Leila Pinheiro, Olivia Hime, Zé Renato and Sergio Santos as soloists, with the symphonic orchestra conducted by Francis Hime, the concert being directed by Flavio Marinho.Francis conducted this symphony in 2 more occasions: in 2002, in Copacabana Beach, to an audience over 20.000 people, and at UNESCO, in Paris, in 2005, ending the festivities of the year France – Brazil.

In 2001, Francis wrote “Fantasia for piano and orchestra” performed by him (as a soloist) at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, with the Orquestra Pró Musica, conducted by Roberto Tibiriçá.

In 2007, Francis wrote a concert for guitar and orchestra in 3 movements, dedicated to Raphael Rabello, which had its “premiere” in May 2008, at Sala São Paulo, played by Fabion Zanon with the OSESP, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alondra de la Parra. In 2008, Francis also finished the score of “Ópera do Futebol”, an opera in 4 acts, with “libretto” by Silvana Gontijo, still unreleased. In 2011, Francis wrote a concert for harp and orchestra in 3 movements, still unreleased.

In popular music field, Francis has released in August 2007 a new CD/DVD “Francis Hime Live”, through the record label Biscoito Fino. In July 2007, he performed at the Montreux Festival alongside Maria Bethânia. He toured presenting AlmaMúsica, first work in his career with Olivia Hime, his life partner for 47 years. This work spawned the studio album and the live CD and DVD, recorded at São Paulo in 2012. His next work, “Francis e Guinga”, a studio album in partnership with the composer Guinga, was released in 2013 through Biscoito Fino. In 2014, Francis released through the SESC label the album Navega Ilumina, commemorating his fifty years of career. The work consists of new compositions in partnership with Geraldo Carneiro, Olivia Hime, Thiago Amud, Joana Hime, and a yet unreleased poem by Vinicius de Moraes that Francis found in his archives, Maria da Luz. In 2015, he released through Biscoito Fino the CD and DVD “Francis Hime – 50 Anos de Música”. Currently, he’s writing a concert for clarinet and orchestra in 3 movements.

ALBUMS:

1. Os seis em ponto – 1964 ( RGE )
2. Francis Hime – 1973 ( ODEON )
3. Passaredo – 1977 ( Som Livre )
4. Se porém fosse portanto – 1978 ( Som Livre )
5. Francis – 1980 ( Som Livre )
6. Sonho de moço – 1981 ( Som Livre )
7. Os 4 mineiros – 1981 ( Som Livre )
8. Pau Brasil – 1982 ( Som Livre )
9. Essas parcerias – 1984 ( Som Livre )
10. Clareando – 1985 ( Som Livre )
11. Choro rasgado – 1997 ( Universal )
12. Meus caros pianistas – 2001 ( Biscoito Fino )
13. Sinfonia do Rio de Janeiro de São Sebastião (cd / dvd) – 2001 ( Biscoito Fino )
14. Brasil lua cheia (cd / dvd) – 2003 ( Biscoito Fino )
15. Álbum musical – 2004 ( Biscoito Fino )
16. Arquitetura da flor – 2006 ( Biscoito Fino )
17. Francis Hime – ao vivo (cd / dvd) – 2007 (Biscoito Fino)
18. Álbum Musical 2 – 2008 (Biscoito Fino)
19. O Tempo das Palavras / Imagem (Double CD) – 2009 (Biscoito Fino)
20. O Tempo das Palavras Ao Vivo (CD/DVD) – 2009 (Biscoito Fino)
21. Concerto Para Violão e Orquestra – 2011 (Biscoito Fino e Osesp)
22. AlmaMúsica – 2012 (Biscoito Fino)
23. AlmaMúsica Ao Vivo (cd/dvd) – 2012 (Biscoito Fino)
24. Navega Ilumina – 2014 (SESC SP)
25. Francis Hime – 50 Anos de Música (cd/dvd) – 2015 (Biscoito Fino)

AWARDS :

1975 – Coruja de Ouro ( best score of the year)
for “Lição de amor” directed by Eduardo Escorel.
1975 – Kikito ( best score of Gramado`s Festival)
for “Lição de amor” directed by Eduardo Escorel.
1976 – Coruja de Ouro ( best score of the year )
for “Dona Flor e seus dois maridos” directed by Bruno Barreto.
1997 – Best album of the year by “O Globo” for “Choro rasgado”.
2003 – Best album of the year by “Universo Musical” for “Brasil lua cheia”.
2006 – Nomination for Grammy of best brazilian songs for “Canção Transparente”
with lyrics by Olivia Hime.
2007 – Nomination for Grammy of best brazilian son for “ Carta a Uma Amiga Poeta”, with lyrics by Simone Guimarães.
2012 – Nomination for Grammy of best instrumental album for “Concerto para Violão e Orquestra”

2015  –  Best arranger by “Prêmio da Música Brasileira” for the album “Navega Ilumina”

SONGBOOKS :

Francis Hime Songbook
2001 – Lumiar Editora
Produced by Almir Chediak

Francis Hime – Álbum Musical
2004 – Editora Gryphus

Francis Hime

2009 – Editora Nova Fronteira