There is genuine romance at the heart of Duo Siqueira Lima. In 2001, Cecilia Siqueira, from Uruguay, and Fernando Lima, from Brazil, entered the 2nd International Guitar Competition in Caxias do Sul, Brazil. They shared joint first prize in the soloist category. Siqueira and Lima fell in love, formed a duo, and got married.
With two prize-winning guitarists, the duo was soon rewarded with critical acclaim and quickly became one of Brazil’s most prestigious chamber ensembles. The following video, a four-handed take on Zequinha de Abreu’s Tico Tico no Fubá, demonstrates both the astonishing skills of the duo and their noteworthy ability to synchronise with each other.
This technique is called four-hand guitar playing (one player behind the other while they both play the same guitar). Playing the four-hand guitar like Duo Siqueira Lima takes serious chops. Incredibly, they never seem to get in each other’s way. This is remarkable, as they don’t simply divide up the bass line and the treble melody, with each guitarist concentrating on their own parts. Instead, they mix it up, shifting between roles. When finished, the looks and smiles they share speak volumes.
The latest YouTube video by Duo Siqueira Lima (April 13, 2023) is a collaboration with the singer Verônica Ferriani. It is an interpretation of Samba em Prelúdio by Vinicius de Moraes (a poet-diplomat) and Baden Powell (the professional name of Brazilian guitar great Baden Powell de Aquino). De Moraes and Baden Powell wrote many classics of 1960s Brazilian music. And, yes, Baden Powell was named after Lord Robert Baden Powell, as his father was an enthusiast of scouting. Take it away, Verônica.
Drie Ishida rather poetically comments (in Portuguese): “I’m going to have to write in another language or make up words to express how wonderful I think your work is. The adjectives I know are already getting repetitive. Too wonderful!” That’s fair praise. It’s a beautiful, finely judged reading of the 1962 song. Verônica Ferriani is a fine, expressive singer, and the concentration with which Cecilia Siqueira and Fernando Lima listen to each other and to Ferriani is on another level.
To give an idea of the romantic yearning of the song, the first verse translates as “Me without you, there’s no reason. Because without you, I can’t even cry. I’m a flame without light; a garden without moonlight; a moonlight without love; love that’s not given.”
As one would expect, the majority of Duo Siqueira Lima’s music consists of duets on two guitars. Their repertoire ranges from Western classical to popular Latin American music. Duo Siqueira Lima has won several awards, including the International Press Award 2014 in the United States and the Professionals of Music 2015 in Brazil. The duo has graced the stages of major music venues around the world, including Lincoln Center, New York, New World Center, Miami, the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, and Sala Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. l.