Artista Eduardo Silveira

Eduardo  Silveira

Silveira se crio en Colonia Lavalleja, Salto. Su abuelo, Merenciano Silveira, tocaba el acordeón de ocho bajos en los bailes de la zona. Sus abuelos eran descendientes de indígenas. Silveira cuenta que su abuelo trabajaba en la estancia de Lagrilla y que cuando volvía del trabajo siempre tomaba mate y tocaba el acordeón de botón. «[Mi abuelo] era celoso, celoso del acordeón de él […]. Salía para el campo […] y yo, muy curioso, yo agarraba [y] le pedía a la abuela para que me diera el acordeón. Me subía arriba de la cama de él […], empezaba a practicar en el acordeón de él. Cuando venía llegando cerquita, guardaba el acordeón y disparaba. […] Un día llegó y me agarró […]. Yo temblaba de miedo, era celoso del acordeón. Y dice: «Agarrá ese acordeón ahí […] y ahora tocá para mí». […] Agarré y le toqué. Ya sabía tocar una polquita o dos, toqué. Ahí no me largó más. Me prestaba. Yo pasaba solo arriba del acordeón de él, el único quien tocaba el acordeón de él era yo».[1]

Silveira cuenta que su abuelo siempre se preocupaba de aprender de otros acordeonistas. Donde aparecía un acordeonista en la zona, él observaba y sacaba sus melodías, al estilo de él. Silveira lo describe como estilo uruguayo; lo diferencia del brasileño.

Su abuelo también aprendía melodías de la radio. Su padre también tocaba el acordeón de dos hileras y tenía amistad con el acordeonista salteño Sofildo Manco Gómez. Esta milonga, La contra, es de autoría de Gómez.

Desde joven, Silveira tocaba en los bailes. Recuerda que a los bailes de Colonia Lavalleja venía mucho Primitivo Pereira como acordeonista contratado, acompañado por guitarra y pandeiro.

A los diecinueve años Silveira se radica en la ciudad de Artigas, donde conoce músicos locales como Washington Montes, Pedro Montes y Jesús Almeida. Comienza a tocar acordeón a piano y a trabajar profesionalmente en orquestas en Brasil.

«Yo pasaba trabajo, porque mi ritmo era totalmente distinto al ritmo brasilero ¿viste? Entonces, me vi obligado a tener que agarrar el ritmo brasilero […]. Ahora tengo conocimiento de la música gaúcha brasilera. Tengo conocimiento también de la música nuestra uruguaya», cuenta.[2]

Más allá de la música, Silveira ha trabajado intensamente en el ámbito rural y con la albañilería.

[1] Comunicación personal, 2002.

[2] Comunicación personal, 2002.

 


 

Silveira grew up in Colonia Lavalleja, Salto. His grandfather played the eight-bass button accordion at local dances. His grandparents were descendants of Native Americans. Silveira recalls that his grandfather worked on the Lagrilla ranch and when he came home from work, he would always drink mate and play the button accordion. «(My grandpa) was very protective of his accordion […] when he went to work out in the countryside […]  I was very curious and I would go get his accordion, I would ask my grandma to give it to me to play and I would go sit on his bed […] and start to practice on his accordion. When he was returning home, I would put away the accordion and run away. […] One day he caught me […] I was trembling with fear, he was very protective of his accordion, and he said «grab that accordion over there and play […] play something for me». I grabbed it and played, I already knew how to play one or two polcas. After that he never stopped lending me his accordion, I spent my days playing that instrument. The only one who played his accordion was me».[1]

Silveira remembers that his grandfather always tried to learn from other accordionists. When a new accordionist showed up in the area, he would go and watch him and would learn their melodies in his own style, «Uruguayan style» according to Silveira, different from that of Brazil.

His grandfather also learned melodies from the radio. His father played the two-row accordion and was friends with the button accordionist from Salto, Sofildo Manco Gómez. This milonga, La contra, is one of Gómez´s compositions.

Since his youth Silveira has played in dances. He remembers that accordionist Primitivo Pereira would often be hired to play at dances in Colonia Lavalleja and was accompanied by guitar and pandeiro.

At the age of nineteen Silveira moved to the city of Artigas where he met local musicians such as: Washington Montes, Pedro Montes and Jesús Almeida. He began to play piano accordion and perform professionally in bands in Brazil.  He states that, «it was hard for me, because my rhythm was totally different than the Brazilian rhythm, you see. So, I was forced to learn the Brazilian rhythm […] Now I know how to play Brazilian gaúcho music as well as our own Uruguayan music».[2]

In addition to his musical career, Silveira has worked extensively in rural professions and construction.

[1] Personal communication, 2002.

[2] Personal communication, 2002.

Colecciones (2)

Colección 2. Dos hileras de baile / Two-row Accordion

Esta sección comienza a mostrar la gran diversidad de ritmos y estilos de la música tradicional de baile del norte…