When talking to Katie Derham, her immaculate presentation, natural charm and unfaltering eloquence are captivating. This may be due to years of broadcasting, but nevertheless, her presence is disarming. But there’s more to Derham than the doey eyes and demureness that you may have seen on the BBC Proms. Her wild side came alive in 2015 whilst performing the likes of the Argentine Tango and a melodramatic Rumba on Strictly Come Dancing.
Katie presented The Girl from Ipanema, a BBC4 documentary that explored the culture and history behind the world famous Brazilian song. Here Derham delved into the past and met with the well-respected leaders of bossa nova performing in their modernist homes within Rio de Janeiro and the undulating mountains in the outskirts of the city. Her ability to unravel this iconic moment in Brazilian music has provided yet another platform to showcase her multi dimensional character and exquisite storytelling.
However it may have been Derham’s personal ties to both music and also Latin America that made the documentary all the more intriguing. Her father was born in Brazil and the family later moved to Mexico when she was seventeen, a far cry from her Cheshire roots. It is clear that Brazil was not just a job but a passion project for Katie Derham and here we speak to her about how the country has inspired her.
How many times have you been to Rio?
I’ve been five times now, the first time for 3 months when I was 19, and spent a summer there researching my economics degree dissertation. It was about the anti-inflationary policies of President Collor… I have to be honest, I didn’t spend the whole 3 months thinking about inflation! It was then that I fell in love with the city, and got to know it pretty well, living with old family friends and travelling as much as possible.
Having grown up with your Brazilian father strumming bossa nova to you at night, has your image of Rio changed from a young age?
I’m sure my father would LOVE that description!! He isn’t actually Brazilian – his mother’s family, who are Dutch, had emigrated to Rio in the late 19th century, and then his English father moved there in the 20’s. He moved back to the UK when he was 10, and always regaled us with stories of growing up first in Rio itself, in Leblon, then out in Petropolis. His friends would send him endless tapes of Brazilian music which he’d play when cooking dinner on Saturday night, or making feijoada as a treat on a Sunday – if he could get hold of the right kind of ingredients. His grandmother lived in Santa Teresa, and his grandfather in Paraty. I loved hearing about the tropical fruits and stories of big spiders, and playing football on the beach. He actually didn’t go back to Rio himself until he was in his 40’s; it had changed a lot – for a start the beach at Copacabana was twice as wide, as they’d reclaimed a lot of land since he was a boy! He still loved it though, and he still speaks fluent Portuguese.
You’ve visited lots of bossa nova clubs. Which ones would you recommend if you had 48 hours in Rio?
You have to go to Bottles Bar… it’s the granddaddy of Bossa Nova. It’s tiny, but it’s where in the late 50’s you could hear the likes of Jobim and Gilberto playing to a very cool crowd… a crowd which often included the likes of Edith Piaf or other visiting stars… You actually don’t hear much Bossa Nova though in Rio, which is strange but true. It’s a musical genre which is more revered abroad than it is at home… though I think that could be slowly changing. There’s amazing live music everywhere though. Definitely head to the bars and clubs in Lapa.
Is there anywhere off the beaten track in Rio that you would recommend visiting?
I love the faded colonial grandeur of Largo do Boticario in Cosme Velho. It’s got really run down recently but you can still half close your eyes and imagine the Rio gentry a hundred years ago… I also love wandering around Santa Teresa.
You must have watched quite a few performances of ‘The Girl from Ipanema,’ which was the most interesting performance?
It’s the most recorded song in the world after ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles so you’ve got plenty to choose from …. and to be honest, cheesy perhaps, but I do love the Sinatra/Jobim version. BUT at a late night prom recently, celebrating Brazilian Popular Music, pianist Gabriela Montero improvised around the famous tune and it was magical.
Where was the most fascinating location that you filmed in Brazil?
Filming in Tom Jobim’s country house, about 3 hours out of Rio in the mountains. Peaceful. Very beautiful. His house is empty now but the family still use the one next door, and we had the best churrasco and jamming session there!
Did you visit anywhere else but Rio and if you went back to Brazil where would you go and why?
I love going to Paraty, for its mix of beach and history, and for the fishing boats you can rent to take you out to island restaurants. I also enjoy the beaches in the north, near Recife – it’s stunning up there, and we’ve made friends with a couple who own a really lovely pousada – Xue, in Praia do Potacho.
You lived in Mexico during your teenage years. How did that shape your future and how did it compare to your life in the UK?
It was only 8 months in Mexico City, but at the age of 16, that’s a long time! It was fantastic. So utterly different from Cheshire…! An international school, loads of kids from all over the world, most of them tri-lingual, all pretty worldly wise. All driving. Late curfews. Not so much homework, no uniform .. it was a revelation! We travelled widely and I saw extremes of luxury and poverty. It’s a beautiful country but still quite harsh in some respects. It gave me a life-long love of quesadillas, and put me off tequila for ever!