Djavan Caetano Viana (; born 27 January 1949) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers in Brazilian history.

Early life and career

Djavan was born in Maceió, Brazil to a white father of Dutch descent and a black mother. He later formed the group Luz, Som, Dimensão (LSD – "Light, Sound, Dimension"), playing Beatles' material. In 1973, Djavan moved to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

and started singing soap opera soundtracks. His first album, ''A Voz, o Violão e a Arte de Djavan'', was recorded in 1976 and included the hit song "Flor de Lis".

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

was a guest on the album '' Luz''. In 1999, his album ''Ao Vivo'' sold 1.2 million copies. In 2016, he was nominated for the 2016 Latin Grammy Awards in the

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...

, Album of the Year, Best Portuguese Language Song and Best Singer-Songwriter Album categories. Djavan's compositions have been recorded by numerous musicians, including Al Jarreau, Carmen McRae and The Manhattan Transfer. His album ''Vesúvio'' was ranked as the 35th best Brazilian album of 2018 by the Brazilian edition of ''

Rolling Stone ''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. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine. His life and career are depicted in the 2025 biographical

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

''Djavan - O Musical: Vidas Pra Contar''.

Discography

Studio albums

* (1976) '' A Voz, o Violão, a Música de Djavan'' * (1978) ''Djavan'' * (1980) '' Alumbramento'' * (1981) ''Seduzir'' * (1982) '' Luz'' * (1984) '' Lilás'' * (1986) ''Meu Lado'' * (1987) ''

Não É Azul Mas É Mar ''Não é Azul, Mas é Mar'' (in English "It's not blue, but it's hesea") is an album by musician, singer, and composer Djavan released in 1987 by Sony Records. Recorded in Los Angeles, California, and co-produced by Ronnie Foster with Djavan, ...

'' * (1988) '' Bird of Paradise'' * (1989) ''Puzzle of Hearts'' * (1992) '' Coisa de Acender'' * (1994) ''Esquinas'' * (1995) ''Novena'' * (1996) '' Malásia'' * (1998) ''Bicho Solto O XIII'' * (2001) ''Milagreiro'' * (2004) ''Vaidade'' * (2005) ''Na Pista, Etc.'' * (2007) '' Matizes'' * (2010) ''Ária'' * (2012) ''Rua dos Amores'' * (2015) ''Vidas pra Contar'' * (2018) ''Vesúvio'' * (2022) ''D'' * (2024) ''Origem''

Live albums

* (1999) ''Ao Vivo'' * (2011) ''Ária (Ao Vivo)'' * (2014) ''Rua dos Amores (Ao Vivo)'' * (2024) ''D (Ao Vivo em Maceió)''

Video albums

* (2000) ''Ao Vivo'' * (2002) ''Milagreiro (Ao Vivo)'' * (2011) ''Ária (Ao Vivo)'' * (2014) ''Rua dos Amores (Ao Vivo)'' * (2024) ''D (Ao Vivo em Maceió)''

References

External links

Djavan's official web site

Djavan's chords and tabs
{{Authority control 1949 births Living people Afro-Brazilian male singers Brazilian male singers Samba musicians Brazilian jazz singers Brazilian people of Dutch descent Brazilian people of indigenous peoples descent Columbia Records artists Música Popular Brasileira singers Latin dance singers Latin Grammy Award winners People from Maceió Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Brazilian male songwriters Latin music songwriters Brazilian male jazz musicians Multishow Brazilian Music Award winners Afro-Brazilian male singer-songwriters