Few artists can claim the historical significance of Jocy de Oliveira. A pioneer of electronic music in Brazil — carrying a weight comparable to such towering figures as John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen — she was also a brilliant pianist, performing as a soloist under the direction of Igor Stravinsky. In his film, Dácio Pinheiro gathers her legacy while keeping a clear gaze on the present — a time in which the Brazilian composer, now 90 years old, continues to create experimental opera.
Jocy de Oliveira turns 90 in 2026 and continues to create. Dácio Pinheiro offers her an early gift with this film, a historic recognition of the work and life of Brazil’s pioneering electronic music artist. A contemporary of figures such as John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luciano Berio, and Igor Stravinsky — with whom she interacted, influenced, was influenced by, and collaborated — Jocy has forged a singular path. This is a film in the spirit of discovery within IndieMusic: works that introduce us to lesser-known artists who are urgent to know. Those who remember the film Electronica:Mentes (IndieLisboa 2020), by the same director, which depicts the rise of electronic music in Brazil from the 1960s onward, will recall Jocy de Oliveira’s dazzling presence: pianist, composer, performer, opera creator, and much more, always defying labels and experimenting, one of the emerging figures of that era. Her artistic freedom and radical creativity inspired Dácio Pinheiro to dedicate this film to her, now fully under her own name. A fragmented, poetic, and circular film, just like her work. Jocy de Oliveira turns 90 in 2026 and continues to reinvent herself. (Carlos Ramos)
