Clássica

The story of Daniela Mercury (Salvador, Bahia, 1965) is told many times: how she fell in love with dancing at a very young age; how she entered the world of singers through bars, pubs and, most crucial, the famous trio elétricos, the impressive mobile stages used in Salvador's carnival parades. The combination of singing and dancing has always been Daniela's trademark. As performer of the danceable axé music she conquered Brazil and the world. Her concerts are always a joy to visit. Her very intensive training as a dancer made it possible for Daniela to impress as a singing dancer. She seems never out of breath, always singing with the right timing, switching microphone from one hand to the other. Sometimes I suspect Daniela covers difficult vocal moments with a louder voice. And unfortunately, that suspicion is demonstrating the weakness of this new album. On this live recorded cd Clássica, Daniela dives into a completely different repertoire. In São Paulo's jazz and blues club "Bourbon Street," she ventured upon the repertoire of Brazilian evergreens like "Brigas Nunca Mais" (Jobim - de Moraes), "Serrado" (Djavan) and "Atrás da Porta (Buarque - Hime). In fact, she goes back to her younger years, since this is the repertoire she then explored. The band is outstanding. It's a pure delight how this septet of musicians accompanies the singer. They mix very Brazilian elements to underline some sentiments of the classic songs. The band is formed around the rhythm section of "Os Melódicos," the Bahian jazz band, led by Ivan Huol (drums and percussion) with Ldson Galter (acoustic bass) and Marcelo Galter (piano, keyboards). They are no strangers to this repertoire. From Daniela's own band guitarist Gerson Silva, percussionist Rudson Daniel and backing vocalists Joelma Silva and Gil Alves are represented. They, too, show an excellence in the music as performed here.