Brazil was undergoing a democratic transition in 1985, after 21 years of military dictatorship, when the Unicamp Zipper in the Mouth Choir was born at the fledgling State University of Campinas (Unicamp). Four decades later, much has changed, but Zipper in the Mouth Choir maintains its irreverent character, its diverse formation—open to students, staff, faculty, and the wider community—and the same baton of conductor Vivian Nogueira, who embraced the choir when she had just graduated in Conducting from Unicamp itself, now a university in its late sixties—next year, Unicamp will celebrate its 60th anniversary.
Currently composed of 78 choristers, Zíper na Boca celebrates its trajectory with the show “40 anos de EnCantos”, on October 10th, at 20 pm, at the Castro Mendes Municipal Theater, in Campinas (tickets R$ 10, full price, and R$ 5, half price, on sale at Sympla).
Throughout its history, the choir has accumulated awards and many stories. It has won three awards from the Mapa Cultural Paulista (São Paulo Cultural Map) and received the Carlos Gomes Medal from the Campinas City Council in 2011 for its significant artistic work in the city. Within the university structure, it is affiliated with the Center for Integration, Documentation, and Cultural Diffusion (Ciddic) at Unicamp.
"I never imagined the choir would reach 40 years, because, at the beginning, I didn't even know if we would make it to the end of the year. But I believe that the public's reception is what most nourishes and gives us strength, even with many challenges to overcome," says the conductor, who also organizes the annual Unicamp Choral Festival, in its 20th edition held this year at Teatro Vitória in Limeira on October 5th. Zíper na Boca has participated in 30 online festivals in Brazil, Latin America, and Europe. In 2023, they participated in an exchange program with the National University of Río Negro (UNRN) in Argentina.
The origin of the name
To understand the choir's "christening" name, we must tell the story of its origin. Nogueira was hired as conductor in 1987, but two years earlier—since 1985—she had taken over the Unicamp Choir, created by maestro Benito Juarez. The choir had been disbanded since Adriana Giarola graduated and could no longer lead the project as an intern (Giarola left the country and, years later, became a professor of music at Unicamp). The choir remained without a conductor for some time, until Juarez tasked the newly graduated Vivian Nogueira with reorganizing it, who would serve as its contract conductor. Due to the bureaucratic delay in her appointment, after more than a year of volunteer work, Nogueira was informed that the plans for the Unicamp Choir had changed.
"It was a complete revolt among the people who already sang in the choir. They wrote an open letter to the community in 1986, and the matter even involved the Central Student Union (DCE). The Provost of Extension, José Carlos Valladão de Mattos, resolved the situation and hired me in 1987, but I couldn't use the name Coral Unicamp. He said, 'You can call it whatever you want.' I conducted a poll among the group, and they chose Zíper na Boca. It was a reaction to the ban on using the name Coral Unicamp," recalls Nogueira. According to Nogueira, the Provost said he didn't like the name, "but I told him it was the group's choice, and he accepted it," he says.
In September 1987, Nogueira began rehearsals for a November performance, when he organized a choral gathering featuring the choir of the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas (PUC-Campinas). Soon, Zíper became well-known in the university community and in Campinas and the surrounding region. "Everyone wanted to see Zíper na Boca; the name itself caught everyone's attention. The first song I rehearsed was…" Sand point, by Milton Nascimento. Our repertoire was eclectic, from Brazilian Popular Music to Renaissance and spiritual. "
Diverse group
The first performances took place within the University, but gradually the choir began receiving invitations from outside. "Our first trip was to Mococa, in 1988," says the conductor. Rehearsals took place in a room at Ciclo Básico, always at lunchtime, two or three times a week, as they continue to do today. From the beginning, the choir was large, with around 40 choristers. Today, Zíper na Boca has 78 members: 29 sopranos, 17 altos, 11 tenors, and 21 basses. "We didn't have a pianist, so we sang a cappella a lot. I brought my own keyboard to rehearsals."
Nogueira has had the administrative support of Renata Monteiro since 2016, and has interns for some activities, such as pianist and vocal coach, in addition to a lot of volunteer work. "It's gratifying to see people getting involved. We've even had a wedding here," reveals the conductor, referring to the couple Kelly Hofsetz, a professor at the School of Applied Sciences (FCA), and Marco Antonio Garcia de Carvalho, a professor at the School of Technology (FT). "They met in the choir: she's from Rio Grande do Sul, and he's from Rio Grande do Norte. They're no longer at Zíper, but they both teach at Unicamp and have two children." This wasn't the only couple to graduate from the choir, Nogueira assures.
Among Zíper's longest-serving members are Oswaldo Baltazar dos Santos and Benigna Almeida, both Unicamp employees. Fellow employee Vânia Raquel Monteiro joined in 1998. "I saw a performance and was enchanted. I looked up where the rehearsals were and joined right away," says Monteiro. "The choir brings me so much. Besides the interaction, it brings me joy. When I come, I leave feeling refreshed and go back to work. Sometimes I don't even eat lunch, but I'm adapting," describes the chorister and percussionist for Zíper na Boca.
“Coral is life”
Open to community participation, Zíper na Boca is made up of people of all ages and backgrounds. Maria Edite Andrade Benini, 75, has been in the choir since 2018. Invited by chorister Cristina Toledo, a Unicamp employee and Zíper soprano, Benini says she had never sung before. As a retired teacher, she says participating in the choir makes her want to get out. "It's a really good thing. It improves my memory and self-esteem. Now I can easily memorize songs. It's also a place where I've made new friends, and my family is very supportive; they enjoy watching me; even my 3-year-old grandson enjoys it. I think the choir is life," concludes Benini.
Yara Teodora de Magalhães Teles Kociuba, a musicology master, says that 80% of her friends in Campinas are members of the choir. "It ends up being like family, not just a professional activity. Zíper occupies a huge space in my life," says Kociuba. She recalls that, when she was pursuing her master's degree and coming to classes at Unicamp, she still lived in Curitiba and stayed in a hostel behind the Casa do Lago. "I would listen to the choir rehearsals and thought they were beautiful. As soon as registration opened, I joined. Today, the choir means a lot to me," says the musician, who is in the doctoral selection process and is also a member of the Contemporary Choir, with which she has participated in two operas and will participate in another later this year. "Zíper does me a lot of good."
Break from routine
Professor Daniel Candeloro Cunha, from Mechanical Engineering (FEM), is currently the only faculty member of Zíper na Boca. "I've always wanted to sing. When I was doing my doctorate at Unicamp, I started participating in workshops and even applied to join Zíper, but then the pandemic (COVID-19) hit, and I decided to leave it at that. I finished my doctorate, went to São Paulo, and as soon as I passed the Unicamp teaching exam, I joined the choir. I really enjoy it because it's a stimulating activity, allowing me to escape my routine and interact with different people. It's really good for me," says Cunha, who used to play drums but felt he struggled with singing. Today, he's a member of the male voice group in the bass section.
Weverton Silva's life changed direction when he discovered Zíper na Boca, he says. With a degree in Lyric Singing from Unicamp and a combined program with Conducting, Silva is now the choir's vocal coach and has already substituted for conductor Vivian Nogueira in a performance. The year he entered Unicamp, studying Philosophy, he attended a choir performance during his first week at the freshman reception and decided to join the project.
"Ziper was very responsible for my change. That same year I performed solos, had the opportunity to sing in an opera, The Elixir of Love (Gaetano Donizete – 1797-1848). It was the first time I had seen an opera. I became even more enchanted by the music and changed my career path. The choir led me to lyrical singing. I embraced the choir and music. At the end of 2018, I ventured into arranging Brazilian watercolorBy this point, I was already a choir scholarship holder. I became increasingly involved in musical work. During the pandemic, I became the choir's vocal coach in 2021. Since then, I've been arranging. Nogueira has always given me opportunities. She's a very special person in my life. The Unicamp Zipper in the Mouth Choir is, above all, a family, where I feel deeply embraced. It's also an important group for my professional development. While I'm here, I intend to continue with the choir. We'll see what the future holds.
"I've always had in mind the idea of bringing the choir to anyone who wants to listen. I think we have to take our work to different places. Music needs to reach different people. It's not just for closed theaters," argues Nogueira, who holds a PhD in Music and a Master of Arts. Since 2017, she could have retired, but she's still unsure when she'll stop, while also worrying about the choir's future and making plans. She believes Silva possesses the qualities of a professional who can continue the project. "I'm thinking about the future because I think I've already contributed enough. I want to leave the best conditions for Zíper to continue."
Check out images of the choir throughout its history:
Technical sheet
“40 years of EnCantos” – October 10, at 20 pm, at the Castro Mendes Municipal Theater, in Campinas.
Conducting/General and Musical Direction: Vivian Nogueira
Stage Direction: Dirceu Soares de Carvalho
Assistant Stage Director: Breno Martins Silva
Vocal Preparation: Weverton Silva
Soloists: Luisa Cardoso and Maloba Glodi
Instrumentalists: Gabriela de Camargo (piano), Osvaldo Baltazar, Vânia Monteiro, Breno Martins, Luísa Cardoso, Arthur Nogueira and Lucas Anjos (percussion), Wenisley Lima (violin), Lyan Lisboa de Souza (guitar), Arthur Sesana (accordion), Guilherme Bacci (trumpet)
Zipper Production 40 years: Luisa Cardoso
Scholars: Arthur da Silva Nogueira, Breno Martins Silva, Isaac Vidal, Luis Eduardo Amaral, Maloba Glodi, Wenisley Lima and Weverton Silva
Costumes: Maria Angela Catana Trucollo
Administrative Support: Renata Monteiro
