By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Known for his relatable lyrics and the moving live delivery of them, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist Damien Rice will stop in Rio de Janeiro to play live in Vivo Rio on Saturday, October 24th. In support of his third album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, Rice’s current stops in Brazil mark his third time in the country on tour.
Rice last played in São Paulo’s Cine Jóia Thursday, October 22nd but his tour in Brazil began in Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas on Tuesday, October 20th.
When asked about his show in Manaus and the reception of Brazilian audiences, Rice, who has also visited the country several times for recreation, told O Globo. “Brazilians are very expressive, caring, and it sometimes feels a bit like they become like my family or become very fast friends.”
He explains, “I met a musician on the streets of Manaus and soon he was hugging me, holding me and kissing my head because I was a music brother or something along those lines, I don’t quite understand Portuguese. It’s beautiful and rare. It’s not often that you find people who know how to express themselves without fear.”
Self-expression and the powerful delivery of emotions are things Rice has become known for as a musician. Since the release of his 2001 single, “The Blower’s Daughter“, Rice’s first single as a solo artist following his time with the band Juniper, it was clear that Rice was a singer-songwriter who could imbue folk music with passionate pathos.
Following the success of “The Blower’s Daughter,” Rice released his debut album O in 2002. It would go on to sell over two million copies worldwide and Rice followed that with the album 9 in 2006. Then after eight years of collaborating with other artists and of making contributions to compilation albums, Rice worked with American producer Rick Rubin to create, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, which was released in late 2014.
Speaking about the album and the ongoing tour in support of it, Rice told Today Online during a recent interview earlier this week. “My ideal for both recording and playing ‘live’ is that I become lost in what I am doing. If I can lose myself, or at least the ego or the intellect, then this other world starts to appear where I am no longer in the driver’s seat of a limited vehicle, but instead part of a limitless flow.”
“That’s when the magic happens,” he added. “But it’s often terrifying to let go so much because I’m often so wrapped up in my head. However, this is my work. Playing music is not really my job, it’s what comes out as a result of my real work — getting past my fears.”
Following Saturday night’s show in Rio, Rice will go on to play in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; Lima, Peru; and Bogota, Colombia before making his way to the United States.
Who: Damien Rice
When: Saturday, October 24th, 10PM
Where: Vivo Rio, Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, 85 – Parque do Flamengo
Entrance: R$90 – R$250