Daniela Mercury (born Daniela Mercuri de Almeida on July 28, 1965) is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, and producer. In her solo career, Mercury has sold over 11 million records worldwide, and had 24 Top 10 singles in the country, with 14 of them reached No. 1. Winner of a Latin Grammy for her album ''
Balé Mulato – Ao Vivo'', she also received six Brazilian Music Award, an
APCA award, three Multishow Brazilian Music Awards and two awards at
VMB
The MTV Video Music Brazil awards (originally Video Music Awards Brazil), more commonly known as VMB, were MTV Brasil's annual award ceremony, established in 1995. MTV viewers picked the winners for most categories since 2001.
Unlike in the MTV ...
: Best Music Video and Photography.
In 1991, Mercury released her
self-titled album, which was followed by ''
O Canto da Cidade
''O Canto da Cidade'' (Portuguese for ''"The Chant of the Town"'') is the second studio album by Brazilian axé/ MPB singer Daniela Mercury, released in 1992 in Brazil and on March 23, 1993 in North America and Europe through Sony Music.
Bac ...
'' a year later, boosting her career as a national artist and taking the
axé music to the evidence. Over the years, Mercury released several albums, generating great singles like "
Swing da Cor", "
O Canto da Cidade
''O Canto da Cidade'' (Portuguese for ''"The Chant of the Town"'') is the second studio album by Brazilian axé/ MPB singer Daniela Mercury, released in 1992 in Brazil and on March 23, 1993 in North America and Europe through Sony Music.
Bac ...
", "
À Primeira Vista", "
Rapunzel", "
Nobre Vagabundo", "
Ilê Pérola Negra", "
Mutante", "
Maimbê Dandá", "
Levada Brasileira", "
Oyá Por Nós", among others. She recorded a commemorative DVD of
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...
's 25th anniversary, and was part of the
Montreal Jazz Festival. In addition, Mercury was invited to participate in the
Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Latin Grammy Awar ...
's DVD, and sing with
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
in Oslo,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, during the delivery of the
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
.
In 2009 she released her album called ''
Canibália'', along with the album, Daniela launched an international tour. The album spawned three singles: "
Preta" with
Seu Jorge, "
Oyá Por Nós" with
Margareth Menezes
Margareth Menezes (born October 13, 1962) is a Brazilian singer from Salvador, Bahia.
Her style is considered axé but her music also steers into samba and MPB territory, at times drawing on African rhythms and reggae.
Menezes is best known i ...
and "
Sol do Sul
Sol or SOL may refer to:
Astronomy
* The Sun
Currency
* SOL Project, a currency project in France
* French sol, or sou
* Argentine sol
* Bolivian sol, the currency of Bolivia from 1827 to 1864
* Peruvian sol, introduced in 1991
* Peruvian sol ( ...
". That same year, writer and intellectual
Camille Paglia
Camille Anna Paglia (; born April 2, 1947) is an American feminist academic and social critic. Paglia has been a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1984. She is critical of many aspects of modern cultur ...
, who had an intellectual "passion" for
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
, said Daniela Mercury is the artist who Madonna would like to be.
In 2011 the American TV channel
CBS, elected Daniela Mercury as the "
Carmen Miranda of the new times". The ''Canibália'' album was released in the United States yielded a critique of
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
saying: "Daniela Mercury goes beyond the concepts that were stressed during her career (...) with a contemporary pop, embracing ethnic and cultural diversity of Brazil (particularly african-Brazilian culture, while Daniela Mercury is white), remembering the past and transforming it."
Early life
Daniela Mercuri de Almeida was born on July 28, 1965,
[Daniela Mercury biography](_blank)
IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
. in the Portuguese Hospital in
Salvador, Bahia
Salvador (English: ''Savior'') is a Brazilian municipality and capital city of the state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognized throughout the country and internationally for its cuisine ...
.
Her mother is Liliana Mercuri, a social worker
[Biography at official website](_blank)
. of Italian ancestry,
[Birchmeier, Jason. Daniela Mercury biography ]All Music Guide
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
. and her father is António Fernando de Abreu Ferreira de Almeida, a
Portuguese emigrant
industrial mechanic.
Mercury grew up in a middle class household in the
Brotas
Brotas is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of São Paulo. The population is 24,636 (2020 est.) in an area of 1101 km2. The town is known locally for its coffee, on which its economy relies.
History
The city's history started in ...
neighborhood of Salvador with her four siblings: Tom, Cristiana, Vânia (who would also become a singer, billed as
Vânia Abreu Vânia Abreu is a singer and performer from Brazil. She was born on May 30, 1967 as Vânia Mercury de Almeida.Vani ...
), and Marcos.
A troublemaker as a child, Mercury was nicknamed "drip-fire".
She attended both the Ana Néri School and the Colégio Baiano.
At eight years old, Mercury began taking dance lessons,
particularly
classical ballet
Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its ...
,
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, and African dances. At age 13, influenced by the work of
Elis Regina, she decided to become a singer.
Her repertoire consisted of
bossa nova
Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...
as well as the music of
Caetano Veloso,
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration ...
, and
Chico Buarque.
To her parents' unease she started singing in local bars in 1980.
She made her
trio elétrico
Trio elétrico (, ''electric trio'') is a kind of truck or float equipped with a high-power sound system and a stage for music performance on the top, playing for the crowd as it drives through the cities. It was created in Bahia specifically for ...
debut soon afterward, during the 1981 carnival.
Mercury's zeal for dance eventually led her to the
Federal University of Bahia, where she enrolled in the Dance School in 1984.
A year later she married
electronic engineer
Electronics engineering is a sub-discipline of electrical engineering which emerged in the early 20th century and is distinguished by the additional use of active components such as semiconductor devices to amplify and control electric current ...
Zalther Póvoas and gave birth to Gabriel Almeida Póvoas.
The next year she gave birth to daughter Giovana Almeida Póvoas.
Career
Early career (1984–1990)
From 1986 to 1988, Mercury was the lead singer for the band Cheiro de Amor.
[Daniela Mercury on MPB Dictionary](_blank)
/ref> Mercury continued to pursue a career in music and, by 1988, was a backup singer for Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration ...
. In 1989, recorded her first two albums as the lead singer of pop band Companhia Clic. Their songs "Pega que Oh!" and "Ilha das Bananas" became minor hits in Bahia radio stations. As the 1990s began, Mercury decided to pursue a solo career.
Rise to fame (1991–1993)
Mercury's self-titled debut album was released in 1991 through independent record company Eldorado. The lead single of the album, " Swing da Cor", which features Olodum, became a number-one hit in Brazil, and the album was soon known as '' Swing da Cor''. Another song from the album, "Menino do Pelô", which also features Olodum, became Mercury's second top-ten hit in Brazil, charting at number four. On the following year, Mercury shut off from the record company and, ever since, produces her own albums to negotiate the distribution of them later with the labels that are interested.
In 1992, she presented the project "Som do Meio-Dia" (Midday Sound) at the Art Museum of São Paulo ( MASP). The show brought together over thirty thousand spectators, which eventually leave the traffic jam in the vicinity of the Paulista Avenue. After forty-minutes concert, Daniela was removed from the stage by representatives of the São Paulo tourist office, that concerned with the museum structure, obtained an order from the military police to remove it from the local.
Soon after the show, Daniela was hired by Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
label and through this, released her second solo album, ''O Canto da Cidade
''O Canto da Cidade'' (Portuguese for ''"The Chant of the Town"'') is the second studio album by Brazilian axé/ MPB singer Daniela Mercury, released in 1992 in Brazil and on March 23, 1993 in North America and Europe through Sony Music.
Bac ...
''. The album sold over 2.5 million copies in Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
alone (which made Mercury the first artist to receive a double-diamond certification in her country) and was considered by journalist André Domingues
André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation o ...
one of the best MPB albums ever. ''O Canto da Cidade'' is Mercury's album with most number-one songs (four in total; "O Canto da Cidade
''O Canto da Cidade'' (Portuguese for ''"The Chant of the Town"'') is the second studio album by Brazilian axé/ MPB singer Daniela Mercury, released in 1992 in Brazil and on March 23, 1993 in North America and Europe through Sony Music.
Bac ...
", " O Mais Belo dos Belos", " Batuque" and " Você Não Entende Nada/Cotidiano"). ''O Canto da Cidade'' is recognized as the album responsible for taking Axé Music to mainstream audiences in Brazil.
The album also yielded Mercury, a year-end special on Rede Globo
TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air Television broadcasting, television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Gr ...
channel, which were mixed with live performances in the square of Apotheosis in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
, and video clips with Caetano Veloso, Herbert Vianna
Herbert Lemos de Sousa Vianna (born May 4, 1961) is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer mainly known for his work with rock band Os Paralamas do Sucesso.
Biography
Herbert was born in João Pessoa, ParaÃba. His fat ...
and Tom Jobim. Years later, the special, previously unreleased in video was released on DVD to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the release of the album. In July 1993, Mercury was one of Brazil's attractions at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...
in Switzerland.
Some consider ''O Canto da Cidade'' was the forerunner of the samba-reggae
Samba-reggae is a music genre from Bahia, Brazil. Samba reggae, as its name suggests, was originally derived as a blend of Brazilian samba with Jamaican reggae as typified by Bob Marley.
History and background
Samba-reggae arose in the context of ...
movement, then called Axé Music, gaining strength in all regions of the country and allowing other genre artists, were featured in the Brazilian music scene. It is believed that after this album, the Carnival of Bahia gained a massive media coverage. Mercury experienced during this period, a peak of popularity rarely seen in the history of Brazilian music industry, being dubbed "the hurricane of Bahia" and "Queen of the Axé".
Artistic development (1994–2000)
In 1994, '' Música de Rua'' was released through Sony. The album was received with lukewarm reviews, with some critics complaining about the similarities between this album and its predecessor. Nevertheless, the album was very well received by the public, selling more than one million copies and producing the hits " Música de Rua", "O Reggae e o Mar" (both number-one hits), "Por Amor ao Ilê" (a top-ten hit) and "A Rosa" (top-twenty). This was Mercury's first album to produce singles which have failed to chart.
In 1996, '' Feijão com Arroz'' was released through Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
. This album was much better received by the critics than its predecessor. It is Mercury's most well rated album at Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, with four and a half stars. As of today, ''Feijão com Arroz'' is Mercury's second best selling album, behind only ''O Canto da Cidade''. It produced the hits " À Primeira Vista", " Nobre Vagabundo", " Rapunzel" (all number-one hits), " Minas com Bahia" (which features Samuel Rosa
Samuel Rosa de Alvarenga (born July 15, 1966) is lead singer, primary composer and guitarist of Brazilian rock band Skank (band), Skank. He has a psychology degree from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
Samuel writes the music for most of t ...
from Skank and was a top-twenty hit) and "Feijão de Corda" (a top-ten hit).
In 1998, Mercury's first live album, ''Elétrica
''Elétrica'' ( Portuguese for ''"Electric"'') is the first live album (fifth overall) by Brazilian singer-songwriter Daniela Mercury, released in October 1998 through Epic Records (her last with that label). It was certified Platinum in Brazil ...
'' was released through Sony. It sold almost half a million copies and produced the top-ten hit "Trio Metal", which charted at number eight.
Experimentation with electronica (2000–2004)
In 2000, Mercury released her fifth studio album, ''Sol da Liberdade'', through BMG BMG may refer to:
Organizations
* Music publishing companies:
** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008
*** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...
. The album sold almost a million copies and produced two number-one singles (" Ilê Pérola Negra" and a cover of Antonio Marcus' "Como Vai Você"). The album, which was produced by Suba, was innovative in Mercury's career for its fusion with electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
sounds.
The following year, Mercury released ''Sou de Qualquer Lugar'' through BMG BMG may refer to:
Organizations
* Music publishing companies:
** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008
*** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...
. The album sold half of its predecessor, but was able to produce the number-one single " Mutante", a cover of Rita Lee
Rita Lee Jones (; born 31 December 1947) is a Brazilian rock singer, composer and writer. She is a former member of the Brazilian band Os Mutantes and is a popular figure in Brazilian entertainment, where she is also known for being an animal ...
. In this album, Mercury also experimented with electronic sounds.
In April 2003, Mercuy's second live album, ''MTV ao Vivo – Eletrodoméstico'', was released through BMG BMG may refer to:
Organizations
* Music publishing companies:
** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008
*** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...
. It was recorded on January 23 and 24 of that same year at the Castro Alves Theater in Salvador for MTV Brasil. It was also released in the DVD format, Mercury's first. Among the artists who performed with the singer were Dulce Pontes, Rosario Flores, Jovanotti
Lorenzo Cherubini (; born 27 September 1966), better known as Jovanotti (), is an Italian singer-songwriter, rapper and disc jockey.
The name Jovanotti derives from ''giovanotti'', the plural form of the Italian word ''giovanotto'' ("young man") ...
, Carlinhos Brown and Olodum. The sales were very inferior to Mercury's previous and it only produced one top twenty hit ("Meu Plano").
In 2004, ''Carnaval Eletrônico'' was released through BMG BMG may refer to:
Organizations
* Music publishing companies:
** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008
*** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...
. For the recording of this album, Mercury invited DJs and producers of electronic music in Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, as well as Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration ...
, Carlinhos Brown, and Lenine. It is a commemorative disc celebrating the five years of her having formed ''TrioTechno'', the first trio elétrico of electronic music in Bahian Carnaval. The disc received a Latin Grammy nomination for best pop album of the year and Mercury was nominated for a TIM Award for best female pop/rock vocalist. Internet users voted ''Carnaval Eletrônico'' the best pop album of the year online in one of Brazil's most important weekly magazines ''Revista Isto É''.
Back to basics (2005–2007)
In 2005, ''Clássica'' was released through Som Livre on both CD and DVD. Recorded from a concert Mercury gave the year before at São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
's Casa de Espetáculo, the album is a sampler of bossa nova
Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...
, jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
, and some of her biggest MPB hits. The record signaled a new phase for Mercury, who chose independence from record companies to gain full control of her work. Mercury was in London, during the July 7 bombings
The 7 July 2005 London bombings, often referred to as 7/7, were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamic terrorists in London that targeted commuters travelling on the city's public transport system during the mor ...
.
That same year, Mercury's eighth studio album, '' Balé Mulato'', was released, but through EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
. The album was very well received by the critics, with some even saying it was Mercury's best album since '' Feijão com Arroz'' (1996). It was not, however, very well received by the public, with none of the singles being able to chart on the top-ten; a large part due to lack of record company support. The next year, the Latin Grammy Award-winning live version
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
*Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of albums ...
of ''Balé Mulato'', was released. Daniela Mercury has completed her newest release, '' Canibália''. Canibalia was launched in October 2009.
Reinventing popular culture with Canibália and working with Cabeça de Nós Todos (2007–2013)
On November 19, 2007, the singer released " Preta", which features Seu Jorge. The song, which is strongly influenced by samba
Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...
, was one of the most played in the country during the carnival. For the 2009's Carnival, Mercury recorded the song " Oyá Por Nós", who wrote with Alfredo Moura and Margareth Menezes
Margareth Menezes (born October 13, 1962) is a Brazilian singer from Salvador, Bahia.
Her style is considered axé but her music also steers into samba and MPB territory, at times drawing on African rhythms and reggae.
Menezes is best known i ...
. The theme, based on the song "Ketu de Iansã" was first used by Moura in the doctoral ceremony honoris-cause of Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration ...
at the University of Aveiro in Portugal. After that, Moura used the theme in a play in Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, at the University of Musicology. A year later, he showed the theme for Daniela, who did not know and she immediately wanted to record it to launch in the Carnival. In 2009, Rolling Stone Brasil
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its c ...
magazine named Daniela as one of the 100 greatest artists of Brazilian music of all time. The names chosen by the expert jury, only 16 were women.
Finally in November 2009, Daniela released the album entitled '' Canibália''. The album marks her return to the studio after five years. The recording sessions for the album takes almost three years to be done, ''Canibália'' hit stores with five different covers – a Gringo Cardia project. And five different track lists for the album, according to the singer, is an extensive project that combines music, dance, video and plastic arts – various expressions of art covered by it.
Daniela Mercury has said that "Canibália is an embrace, a swallow of Tropicália, the Clube da Esquina and everything that has since been created in the arts in Brazil since the – ‘Semana de 22’ €˜Semana de Arte Moderna de 1922 ’-The Week of Modern Art– I yearn for the liberty that comes from this anthropophagic movement, of the Cannibalist Manifesto by Oswald de Andrade and its practice by Mario e Andrade), who spoke that these mixtures reinforce our [Brazilianidentity".
José Oswald de Andrade Souza (1890 – October 1954) was a Brazilian poet and a controversial thinker. Born in São Paulo, Andrade was one of the founders of the Brazilian Modernist movement and a member of the Group of Five, including Mário de Andrade, Anita Malfatti, Tarsila do Amaral Oswald de Andrade]. Andrade is recognized by his nationalist, ''Manifesto Antropófago
The Anthropophagic Manifesto (Portuguese: ') was published in 1928 by the Brazilian poet and polemicist Oswald de Andrade, a key figure in the cultural movement of Brazilian Modernism and contributor to the publication '' Revista de Antropofagia ...
'' (Cannibalist Manifesto), published in 1928.
The manifesto argues that based on the premise that the history of Brazil has, as its greatest strength, the power to cannibalize others and simultaneously plays with the idea of cannibalism as a modern primitivism; like a presumed tribal rite.
Cannibalism then, becomes a way for Brazil to reaffirm itself against the cultural domination of Post Colonial Europe.
The iconic phrase of the manifesto "Tupi or not Tupi" is as much a celebration of the Tupinamba, a documented tribe of cannibals, as it is an act of genius cannibalizing Shakespeare's, "To be or not to be".
In 2009, her tour named by the album title started in São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, and traveled to several Brazilian cities and abroad. The work pays tribute to Carmen Miranda, at her centenary, with songs like "Tico-Tico no Fubá
"Tico-Tico no fubá" (; "rufous-collared sparrow in the cornmeal") is a Brazilian choro song written by Zequinha de Abreu in 1917. Its original title was "Tico-Tico no farelo" ("sparrow in the bran"), but since Brazilian guitarist Américo Jacom ...
" and "O Que É Que A Baiana Tem?
O que é que a baiana tem? (English: ''What does the woman from Bahia have?'') is a song composed by Dorival Caymmi in 1939 and recorded by Carmen Miranda.
The song was immortalized in the voice of the Brazilian artist Carmen Miranda, who played ...
".
For 2010's Carnival, Daniela Mercury recorded " Andarilho Encantado", song released officially in the special project of the singer called ''Pôr do Som'' (Sunset Sound), the show that brings Mercury as headliner each year on the first day of the year at the Farol da Barra
Farol is a municipality in the state of Paraná in the Southern Region of Brazil.
See also
*List of municipalities in Paraná
This is a list of the municipalities in the state of Paraná (PR), located in the South Region of Brazil. Paraná is ...
, in Salvador
Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to:
* Salvador (name)
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
*Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music
** ''Salvador'' ( ...
, Bahia. The song was written by Mercury and Marcelo Quintanilha. Also in 2010, the year that the Electric Trio celebrates 60 years and Axé Music 25 years, the singer reaches 20 years of solo career – with significant-selling records. To commemorate the date, the media raised the possibility it make a documentary film about this invention of Bahian carnival, the axé music, praising percussionists.
In February 2013, the singer was invited to be interviewed in the '' Leading Women'' program of CNN International
CNN International (CNNI, simply branded on-air as CNN) is an international television channel that is owned by CNN Global. CNN International carries news-related programming worldwide; it cooperates with sister network CNN's national and inter ...
, and was announced by the issuer as the "Brazilian Madonna". The attraction highlights the most influential women in the world in their fields. Already in 2012, the Bahian singer had attracted the attention of American writer and feminist Camille Paglia, who declared to the British newspaper The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
, that had a "crush" by the Bahian star. Since she had been in the country, for a conference in Bahia, Paglia has written enthusiastic articles about Mercury, saying that Daniela Mercury is the artist who's Madonna wanted to be. Paglia said, a Canadian television station, which is "in love with a Brazilian superstar. I'm watching her work. She is Daniela Mercury. In fact, this has been very important. This is the point where I am in my life" . In an interview with the Brazilian magazine Veja Veja may refer to :
Places
* Veja, a town in Lazio, central Italy; now Vejano comune
* Veja, a village in Stănița Commune, Neamț County, Romania
* Veja River, Romania
* Veja State, a former princely state in present Gujarat, western India
Perso ...
, intellectual revealed her plans to write two books about the Bahian singer.
At the end of 2013, released the album '' Daniela Mercury & Cabeça de Nós Todos'', a partnership with the Brazilian group Cabeça de Nós Todos Cabeça, the Portuguese word for head, may refer to:
Things
* ''Cabeça Dinossauro'', the third studio album released by Brazilian rock band Titãs
Places
* Cabeça da Cobra, a headland on the Angola coast, also known as Margate Head, 06° 32' 40 ...
, with songs like " Couché", "Alma Feminina
''Alma feminina'' was the official bulletin of Portugal’s ''Conselho Nacional das Mulheres Portuguesas'' (CNMP) (Portuguese Women’s National Council) from January 1917 to 1946.
The Portuguese Women’s National Council was formed in 1914. It ...
", "Paula e Bebeto", "Aquele Abraço" and "Cheia de Graça" are some of the tracks are presented in this work. It is an urban and pop-rock album, which does not show Daniela's rhythmic signature; it was launched with a book called "Daniela and Malu, A Love Story", a partnership with her wife Malu Verçosa. The book tells the story of their relationship, from the moment of friendship to marriage.
The Voice Kids and Vinil Virtual (2014–present)
In 2014, she was mentor on The Voice Kids
''The Voice Kids'' is a version of ''The Voice'' TV series franchise in which children participate.
Versions
The first such variation was ''The Voice Kids'' from the Netherlands, which was followed by other international variants:
: Franchise wit ...
(the version for children of the traditional show The Voice) of Portugal, because of her popularity in Portuguese lands. In the same year she released the single " A Rainha do Axé (Rainha Má)", an electronic ijexá that speaks about the strength of women, love and faith which was sung by revelers during the 2015's Carnival of Salvador. The single is the first single to the fifteenth studio album by the singer titled ''Vinil Virtual
''Vinil Virtual'' is the tenth studio album by the Brazilian singer-songwriter Daniela Mercury. It was released on November 27, 2015, by the label Biscoito Fino.
Development
''Vinil Virtual'' was produced by Mercury and Yacoce Simões. All the fi ...
'', released November 27, 2015 by the label Biscoito Fino.
Personal life
In 1984, at 19, Mercury married electronic engineer Zalther Portela Laborda Póvoas, her high school boyfriend. The next year, on September 3, 1985, she gave birth to their first child, Gabriel (who is also a singer and songwriter). The following year, she gave birth to a girl named Giovana (who is now a dancer in Mercury's ensemble). In 1996, Mercury and Póvoas divorced. That same year, she was pointed as the reason for the split between Chico Buarque and Marieta Severo
Marieta Severo da Costa (born 2 November 1946) is a Brazilian stage, film and television actress. She is best known to youth audiences as the archetypal mother figure in popular sitcom ''A Grande FamÃlia'' (2001–2014), as well to mature audien ...
. In an interview to '' ISTOÉ'' magazine, Mercury said that "it was a levity what they did, an irresponsibility that caused an uproar in my life and in the lives of both of them". In April 2013 Daniela Mercury used social media to make public her relationship with the journalist Malu Verçosa, saying that "Malu is now my wife, my family, my inspiration to sing." Daniela Mercury and Malu Verçosa married on October 12, 2013, in a civil ceremony in Salvador da Bahia, both dressed in all white. Her father, initially critical about their relationship, was present.
Controversies
At late 2005, Mercury, a devout Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, was uninvited from a Christmas concert in the Vatican City
Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—'
* german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ')
* pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—'
* pt, Cidade do Vati ...
due to her endorsement of a Ministry of Health campaign encouraging young people to use condom
A condom is a sheath-shaped barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both male and female condoms. With proper use—and use at every act of in ...
s. Church officials feared she would use the occasion to promote the use of condoms.
In 2006, Mercury openly opposed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's reelection. This drew criticism from other artists, such as Zeca Baleiro
José Ribamar Coelho Santos (born 11 April 1966), better known by his stage name Zeca Baleiro (), is a Brazilian MPB artist. ALlmusic biography/ref> One of his most famous songs is "Salão de Beleza", which was featured on Putumayo World Music's ' ...
, who accused her of being favored by the late Antônio Carlos Magalhães
Antônio Carlos Peixoto de Magalhães (4 September 1927 – 20 July 2007), also known by his initials ACM, was a Brazilian politician. He served as Governor of Bahia three times and represented Bahia in the Senate of Brazil three times.
Magalhãe ...
, a controversial oligarch from Bahia (which she denied vehemently). Later that same year, in an interview with '' Folha de S.Paulo'', Mercury declared she was against reelections in general. She also said that she voted for Lula four times and that she was disappointed "by his first term (...), shocked with all these scandals". However, she said that she hoped that "Brazil would now have the four years of Lula that we hoped for in his first term."
Philanthropy
Mercury has performed at a large number of charitable events. She is the second Brazilian honored as an ambassador for UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
(Renato Aragão
Antônio Renato Aragão (born January 13, 1935), nicknamed Didi, is a Brazilian comedian actor, producer, filmmaker, TV presenter, singer and writer. He is best known as Didi, because of his leading role in the television series ''Os Trapalhões ...
was the first). She is also an ambassador for UNAIDS and UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. She has performed at Rede Globo
TV Globo (, "Globe TV", or simply Globo), formerly known as Rede Globo, is a Brazilian free-to-air Television broadcasting, television network, launched by media proprietor Roberto Marinho on 26 April 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Gr ...
's annual charity ''Criança Esperança'' for fifteen consecutive years (1992–2007). She also represents various non-profit organizations including Caravana da Musica which has spawned her own Instituto Sol da Liberdade.
Discography
Studio albums
* '' Daniela Mercury'' ''(a.k.a. "Swing da Cor")'' (1991)
* ''O Canto da Cidade
''O Canto da Cidade'' (Portuguese for ''"The Chant of the Town"'') is the second studio album by Brazilian axé/ MPB singer Daniela Mercury, released in 1992 in Brazil and on March 23, 1993 in North America and Europe through Sony Music.
Bac ...
'' (1992)
* '' Música de Rua'' (1994)
* '' Feijão com Arroz'' (1996)
* ''Sol da Liberdade
''Sol da Liberdade'' (Portuguese language, Portuguese for ''Sun of freedom'') is the fifth studio album by Daniela Mercury, released in April 2000 in Brazil through Bertelsmann Music Group, BMG. Two of its singles, "Ilê Pérola Negra (song), Ilà ...
'' (2000)
* ''Sou de Qualquer Lugar
''Sou de Qualquer Lugar'' ( en, I'm from Anywhere) is the sixth studio album by Brazilian singer Daniela Mercury, released on November 20, 2001 on RCA Records. After the success of the previous record, ''Sol da Liberdade'' (2000), which one she e ...
'' (2001)
* '' Carnaval Eletrônico'' (2004)
* '' Balé Mulato'' (2005)
* '' Canibália'' (2009)
* '' Daniela Mercury & Cabeça de Nós Todos'' (2013)
* ''Vinil Virtual
''Vinil Virtual'' is the tenth studio album by the Brazilian singer-songwriter Daniela Mercury. It was released on November 27, 2015, by the label Biscoito Fino.
Development
''Vinil Virtual'' was produced by Mercury and Yacoce Simões. All the fi ...
'' (2015)
* ''Perfume'' (2020)
* ''Baiana'' (2022)
Tours
* ''Swing da Cor Tour'' (1991–1992)
* ''O Canto da Cidade Tour'' (1992–1994)
* ''Música de Rua Tour'' (1995–1996)
* ''Feijão com Arroz Tour'' (1996–1997)
* ''Elétrica Tour'' (1998–1999)
* ''Sol da Liberdade Tour'' (2000–2001)
* ''Sou de Qualquer Lugar Tour'' (2002)
* ''Eletrodoméstico Tour'' (2003)
* ''Carnaval Eletrônico Tour'' (2004)
* ''Balé Mulato Tour'' (2006–2009)
* '' Canibália Tour'' (2009–2012)
* ''Couché Tour'' (2013)
* ''Pelada Tour'' (2014)
* ''Baile da Rainha Má Tour'' (2015–2017)
* ''O Axé, a Voz e o Violão Tour'' (2016–2017)
See also
*List of best-selling Latin music artists
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*Women in Latin music
Women have made significant contributions to Latin music, a genre which predates Italian explorer Christopher Columbus' arrival in Latin America in 1492 and the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The earliest musicians were Native Americans, ...
References
Sources
(Portuguese) Biography at the dictionary of MPB
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercury, Daniela
1965 births
Living people
Brazilian record producers
Bisexual singers
Bisexual songwriters
Bisexual women musicians
Brazilian LGBT singers
Brazilian LGBT songwriters
Latin Grammy Award winners
Spanish-language singers of Brazil
Música Popular Brasileira singers
Brazilian Roman Catholics
LGBT Roman Catholics
LGBT record producers
LGBT people in Latin music
Musicians from Salvador, Bahia
Brazilian people of Italian descent
Brazilian people of Portuguese descent
Portuguese people of Brazilian descent
Portuguese people of Italian descent
20th-century Brazilian women singers
20th-century Brazilian singers
21st-century Brazilian women singers
21st-century Brazilian singers
Women record producers
Women in Latin music
Brazilian women singer-songwriters
Brazilian singer-songwriters
20th-century Brazilian LGBT people
21st-century Brazilian LGBT people