<<<  <<  -- 7 --  Jennifer I Paull    RUI DOS REIS  --  >>  >>>

Humour is very important in this peripatetic musician's lifestyle. I asked whom he admired the most.

'P D Q Bach, Anna Russell, Les Luthiers, Mini and Maxi', was his speedy response.

Your favourite TV show? I threw in that idea not knowing what to expect.

'The Muppets! They're so clever, witty, hilarious and there are so many excellent caricatures of real people with such good music.'

I thought I'd play really dangerously and ask about favourite influences. In this order, I was given the following like bullets from a machine gun.

'Monteverdi, Bach, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, "Blood, Sweat and Tears", "Chicago Transit Authority", Jimmy Webb, Billy Joel, the group Genesis ...'

Your next project after the Band piece?

'I'm working on a book with pictures I took mixed with a lot of wisdom I've gleaned from the maxims of my friend the writer, Patrick Stocco' (librettist, Le Sermon de Gaïa and Meditatio XXI).

I had intended to illustrate this Portrait with excerpts of Rui dos Reis' music. I find it impossible to choose any representative section without doing him a disservice. I strongly advise visiting his multilingual web site, Luso Formosa, to sample sections of the DVD of which I write above, and savour the variety of CDs from humorous to gut-wrenching that are on display. Those currently in short supply are soon to be reprinted.

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