Tumbling Villa-Lobos

The borders of what is classical and non-classical in Brazil are not very clear. They have never been. So it’s very rare that you will find people who are strictly classical musicians: they always play different styles. And because that border is not so well-defined, it’s difficult – even for classical musicians or composers – to tell to what degree they are really classical. (Heitor) Villa-Lobos is a great example: he’s one of the best or the most famous composers to come out of Brazil. He drew from the Brazilian tradition and he wrote his music based on national elements so his music sounds sometimes like popular Brazilian music.