Evening star., 1941-07-24
Wafer Gate SoIoist
10 Sing Voodoo Songs
Learned in Brazil
Elsie Houston Found
.Porisiuns Liked Music
Of Her Country

Weird voodoo rites imported to
Brazil by slaves from the Ivory
Coast of Africa formed an impor-
tant part of the musical education
of Elsie Houston, soprano, who will
make her Washington debut with
the National Symphony Orchestra
tonight.
At her home in Rio de Janeiro
the young singer became intensely
interested in the customs of colony
of Negroes who retained many of
the songs, dances and religious rites
which their forefathers brought to
the New World from the West
African bush.
Nine. Houston won the confidence
of the cultists and was permitted
to witness their strange ceremonies.
She sang with the choruses, she
said, and was affected by the intense
emotionalism of the rites.
The student of folk music was
amazed later to hear exactly the
same tunes. chants and rhythms
repeated in Paris on recordings
made in the African bush country.
On two widely-separated continents,
she said, the music had been handed
down unchanged for hundreds of
years.
To Sing VOOdoo Series.
A series of voodoo songs she
learned in Rio will be included on
Nine. Houston's program tonight.
The songs will be accompanied by
percussion instruments.
The music of Bl lazil, Nine. Hous-
ton said, has been strongly inf1u-
enced by Negro and Indian folk
tunes and rhythms. Many num-
bers on her program tonight are
adaptations from Indian ceremonial
and drinking songs by Helter Villa
Lobos. one of South Americas great
est and most prolific composers.
Nine. Houston, a successful con-
cert artist and night club enter
tainer, appeared in France in joint
recitals with Villa-Lobos and has
become one of the leading inter-
prefers of his works.
Made Debut in Paris.
A native of Rio, Nine. Houston is
the daughter of a descendant of
the famous Texas liberator. Her
mothers family came from Portu-
gal almost 300 years ago to settle
in Brazil. Nine. Houston studied
voice in Paris and Buenos Aires.
She made her debut as profess
sional singer in Paris and her first
program contained a group of Bra
lillian folk songs which proved i'm
mensely popular with the Parisians.
Since 1887 Nine Houston has been
in this country, alternately appear
ing with concert orchestras and
entertaining at night clubs. She
recently concluded a seven-week
engagement at the Rainbow Room
in New York City.
Smallens to Direct.
The symphony concert tonight
will be devoted largely to South
American music. The orchestra will
be directed by Alexander Smallens
in his second and final appearance
at the Water Gate.
Nine Houston will sing the follow
ing program:
"Xango" God of Thunder, ar
ranged by H. Villa-Lobos; "Estrella
e lua nova (Star is new noon,
arranged by H. Villa -Lobos;;" Mahoce
Ce Made" can Indian lullaby from
the Parcel Tribe, arranged by H.
Villa-Lobos; "Nozanina" "a drink
ing song from the Parcel Tribe,
arrange by H. Villa-Lobos: "Teiru"
"a ceremonial song from the Parcel
Tribe, celebrating the death of an
Indian chief, arranged by H. Villa
T.obos; "Paso naningo' Cuban
n. oic song), arranged by Moyses
Sim IS; "Fado" Portuguese love
song), ranged by Elsie Houston;
"Corone brazilian "embolada~,
Romeo Sik "Aquarella Brasileiro,"
arranged by srrozo: voodoo songs
with percussion. accompaniment.
The orchestra will play Bee
thoven's Fifth SYM >ony" (Which,
because the four opeI. "g notes
three short ones and one /, r-spell
in Morse code the letter - is
now known abroad as the "VIL "
Symphony, Aaron Coplands "Out
door Overture San Juan's "Inicia-
cion- Ritual Negra" and Henry
Hadley's overture. "In Bohemia"