Celebrating 10 Years of Success
“Ivete, Ivetinha, você é a rainha da Bahia”; Ivete, you’re the queen of Bahia. A declaration of affection that starts to make sense while listening to this lively concert registration. In her own infectious way, Ivete Sangalo easily steals the hearts of 80,000 enthusiast fans, present at the Octávio Mangabeira (Fonte Nova) stadium in Salvador da Bahia. That’s where Ivete Sangalo chose to celebrate her first decade on the road of success. Not too long after her birth in Juazeiro (Bahia, 1972), the little Ivete (Ivetinha) already pleased her family with her vocal aspirations. Nevertheless, during the late teenage years, she started a career as a model. But since blood is thicker than water (Ivete grew up in a musical talented family), that career was soon given up, in favour of singing. After gaining experience in bars, the first break-through came when no one less than Geraldo Azevedo invited Ivete on the stage of the Teatro do Centro Cultural João Gilberto in hometown Juazeiro. Winning the Dorival Caymmi award for best interpreter (1992), again confirmed the talent of the young singer. It didn’t last too long before the smart producer/ percussionist Jonga Cunha discovered the talent as well. Cunha was the founder of the carnaval group Bloco Eva (Eva stands for Estrada Velha do Aeroporto, the main road where the bloco paraded). Ivete was the perfect vocalist and crowd pleaser for the very successful axé band Banda Eva. Axé is for carnaval in Bahia what samba is for Rio. Six albums later, with satisfying selling figures of around 4.5 million, Ivete thought the time was ripe to start a solo career. After saying goodbye in style during the Carnaval of 1999, the first solo album (Ivete Sangalo) was already recorded within the next half year. And success continued. Until now the charismatic artist could count on the loyal Banda Eva fans, who never forgot Ivete. Just when critics thought that the music was drifting away towards pop/ disco, Ivete struck back with the album Clube Carnavalesco, Inocentes em Progresso (2003). With that album, tribute was paid to one of the pioneer bands of carnaval music in Bahia (around the turn of the 19th and 20th century). What better foundation than that to build a career retrospective concert on? In December 2003 the event took place at the above-mentioned stadium.
Of course some of the greatest hits pass by. Banda Eva’s major successes are included in a medley. From her solo career Ivete picked out favourites like “Canibal,” “Se Eu Não Te Amasse Tanto Assim” and “Tô na Rua” from her first album, among more recent work. The accompanying band, which Ivete generously refers to as the best band in the world (“Essa é a maior e melhor banda do mundo”), fits perfectly in this event; since most of the musicians already worked with Ivete during those ten years. The solid Toinho Batera (drums) holds the rhythm very tight, while an impressive percussion squad is painting the various colours of Bahia in the most perfect way. Guitarists Rudney Monteiro and Juninho, along with bassist Gigi and keyboard player Radamés, show that they’re indeed definitely among the best around in Bahia. Three wonderful backing vocalists support the catchy melody lines the way it should be done and an attentive horn section does the rest. The joyful party is spiced up by various guest appearances. Unfortunately those of Tatau (from the band Araketu), Daniela Mercury and Margareth Menezes are not included in the cd. Of course the participation of Ivete’s partner in life, guitarist Davi Moraes, can’t be missing. He adds a razorblade sharp guitar solo on a somewhat messy “Astral.” Gilberto Gil joins in with the pleasant “Céu da Boca.” Brazil’s current Minister of Culture shows he still knows how to steal the show. The only weak moment comes when Sandy (from the immense popular kid duo Sandy e Júnior) is invited on stage to sing Herbert Vianna’s “Se Eu Não Te Amasse Tanto Assim.” Where the other guests spontaneously join in the festivities, Sandy (Sandy Leah Lima, 1983) holds on to her own Americanized singing style. The slick voice sounds like an anachronism on this stage of pure ecstasy. It shows that, although of course very talented in her own way, she still has a lot to learn about the true soul of music. Especially in a beautiful ballad like this. It’s fun to hear Ivete sing “Chica Chica Boom Chic.” Written by Hollywood composer Harry Warren for the 1941 movie That Night In Rio and then performed by Carmen Miranda, this song suddenly changes the mood a bit.
This album guarantees fun, joy and happiness. Ivete Sangalo knows how to please her fans. A lovely interaction between an artist and her audience. It can’t be better explained than by Ivete’s own words, projected op the stage during the last few songs. “Somos uma coisa só: eu, a música e os meus fâs.” (We’re one: me, the music and my fans.) During this concert, Ivete sounds like she really lives up to that!
ALBUM INFORMATION
Ivete Sangalo
MTV Ao Vivo
Mercury Universal 60249816564 (2004)
Time: 75’18”
Tracks:
- Medley: Eva (Giancarlo Bigazzi – Umberto Tozzi – Marcos Ficarelli) / Alô Paixão (Jorge Xaréu) / Beleza Rara (Ed Grandão)
- Medley: Vem Meu Amor (Silvio – Guio) / Nossa Gente (Roque Carvalho)
- Flor do Reggae (Ivete Sangalo – Gigi – Fabinho O’Brian)
- Carro Velho (Ivete Sangalo – Ninha)
- Tô na Rua (Gal Sales – Xexéu II)
- Empurra, Empurra (Alain Tavares – Gilson Babilônia)
- Céu da Boca (Reinaldo Marcel) – w/ Gilberto Gil
- Chica Chica Boom Chic (Harry Warren – Mack Gordon)
- Só Pra Me Ver (Ivete Sangalo)
- Sorte Grande (Lourenço)
- Festa (Anderson Cunha)
- Astral (Gustavo di Dalva – Cláudio Martins) – w/ Davi Moraes
- Faz Tempo (Gigi – Fabinho O’Brian)
- A Lua Q Eu T Dei (Herbert Vianna)
- Se Eu Não Te Amasse Tanto Assim (Herbert Vianna – Paulo Sérgio Valle) – w/ Sandy
- De Ladinho (Léo Bit Bit – Gustavo di Dalva – Boghan)
- Pererê (Augusto Conceição – Chiclete)
- Canibal (Ivete Sangalo)
