By Antonia Simigis

If you’re a Wes Anderson fan, you’ve already experienced the music of Seu Jorge.  Outfitted in a red knit cap, Jorge spent much of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as luckless explosives expert Pele dos Santos, singing the familiar melodies of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust in lilting, scratchy Portuguese. 

But unless you’re fluent in his native tongue, you may not have noticed what Jorge, a headliner at this week’s World Music Festival, was doing.  “I didn’t actually translate the lyrics of David Bowe,” he explains via translator from his home in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  “A friend of mine helped me to understand what David Bowie was singing about, and then I created the lyrics based on the characters in the film.”  As a one-man Greek chorus, he morphed “Changes” into a song about Steve Zissou (Bill Murray) trying to become a better man, while “Lady Stardust” became tune about Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson) wanted to be a good father. 

A father himself who spends much of his time with his two daughters, Jorge (his first name is roughly pronounced “Sow”) first came to director Anderson’s attention because of his role as Knockout Ned, a peaceful bus-fare collector who turns vengeful after his brother is murdered and girlfriend is raped in 202’s City of God.  The movie, set in Brazil’s favela ghettos, was familiar terrain for the 35-year-old, who grew up impoverished in the favelas himself. 

Although he couldn’t afford to buy a guitar until he was 20, Jorge always knew he wanted to be a musician.  “Como Ray Charles, como Stevie Wonder, como Micheal Jackson!” he enthuses.  “Throughout the time I’ve been alive, North American music has always permeated Brazil.  For me, it was especially important that artists like that penetrate the radio in Brazil, because it was black music.  The people who were from the favelas listened to a lot of black American music and identified with it.  Even today, hip-hop is extremely important in the favelas- it has a huge influence on Brazilian music.” 

In concert, however, Jorge’s charm is pure Brazil. On his recent European tour, he sat perched on a stool onstage, alternating between an acoustic guitar and a small ukulelelike cavaquinho, backed only by a bassist and percussionists, languidly flowing between traditional bossa pieces.  On Cru, his recently released second album, he even coughs on one song as an accent. “ I want my music to affect them, and make them do things they really want to do, whether that’s singing back, holding hands with someone next to them, kissing someone or falling in love.” 

He knows that acting’s made him a star, but Jorge, whose appearance at the fest is part of his inaugural North American tour, still considers himself as musician first.  “That’s where I always wanted to be,” he explains.  “When I was 23, I got involved in theater and was in the theater company for four years.  But I really felt like the acting was to be able to further my music.  Now I’m looking at my self like Elvis Presley- as someone who is a musician, but who also is in movies, and is known as a musician within movies.  The way that great actors like Marlon Brando are forever preserved on film- I’ll have a little piece that, too.”