Lovely To Look At— Delightful To Hear

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 10, 1 September 1939, Page 12

Lovely To Look At— Delightful To Hear

NE is tempted to believe that had Christopher Morley visited South America instead of Spain, he would never have made his famous quip about Spanish women being a "snare Andalusian." At any rate, had he met Madame Olga Coelho, the Brazilan soprano and guitarist,

who began her tour of the National stations last week, it is certain that his wit would have been equally brilliant and wholly complimentary.

Indeed, if she is representative of the charm of Brazil, one can at once absolve Germany of political motives in its interest in her native country, for Mme. Coelho has a double portion of that vivacity and beauty which is traditionally associated with her race. In the American phrase, she is decidedly "easy to look at," but her personal charm is reinforced by intellectual accomplishment far above the ordinary. For example, not content with the command of seven languages, she is now studying Maori and said she was anxious to add some Maori songs to her repertoire before leaving New Zealand. "I want to hear the Maoris themselves sing their songs," she said, " Maori is

so soft and melodious, so easy to sing, and the vowels are much the same as in Spanish." Already, she added, she had transcribed three Maori melodies for the guitar. Though Mme. Coelho only started her career as a professional singer in 1935, she is an established favourite in Europe to-day. She has toured there every season since 1936, she has been televised in London and Berlin

and made films in Portugal, but perhaps her warmest reception has been from France, where the critics, from the great Henri Malherbe down, are at her feet. Throughout France she is known as "La Malibran de Brésil," in allusion to the famous Spanish singer and guitarist who was the darling of

Paris just 100 years ago, and the friend of the poets Lamartine and de Musset. "But I think," adds Mme. Coelho modestly, "that it is partly because the French find it difficult to pronounce my real name."

Not long before she left for New Zealand, Mme. Coelho took part in a concert which must be unique in broadcasting history. It was staged in Paris on July 14 last, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the fall of the Bastille, and was held in the open air. Loudspeakers were installed in the boulevards, and the crowds which stood to listen in the summer sunlight were estimated to total 60,000 or 70,000 — fitting audience for the famous artists who entertained them, including, said Mme. Coelho, Marlene Dietrich, the inimitable Maurice Chevalier, Marta Eggerth, and Serge Lifar, with ballets from the Opera House.

But she left this behind and cancelled a season in her native Brazil because she wanted to see New Zealand and Australia, And from Australia she will go to Java, India, Mozambique, and South Africa, to Brazil for a 15-days holiday, and then once more back to Europe or America. Listeners may hear Mme. Coelho from 4YA on September 3, and from 3YA and 2YA on September 6 and 9 respectively.