Life of the Party

Other surprising track is Daniela Mercury's remake
of "Mutante", a Rita Lee hit from the early eighties.
The arrangement suits the song well
without trying to be too creative.

Ernest Barteldes

Sou de Qualquer Lugar, Daniela Mercury, BMG Music. Available in most stores

I must tell you that I'm not exactly a fan of Daniela Mercury, the Brazilian songstress whose new album, Sou de Qualquer Lugar (I'm From Anyplace) recently hit the world music section of most record stores.

In fact, when the axé music (the nickname of the tropical Afro-influenced beat that came from Bahia) invaded the airwaves and the streets of Brazil, the rocker in me looked with disdain to the growing numbers of performers who poured out records at a pace that would make Motown look like a mom-and-pop record shop.

When Ms. Mercury appeared about eight years ago, her sound wasn't much different from everything else that was going on back then. Her songs were basically made to be tirelessly played on the radio, especially during Carnaval. Sou de Qualquer Lugar, however, is much more pop-oriented than her earlier works. In this release, Daniela explores a variety of beats, such as electronic pop, funk, and other beats.

Take, for example, the title track, which opens the album. Although the Afro elements are all there, the song is much more suitable for a dance floor than behind a trio elétrico (the popular moving stage which is used in Bahia during the Carnaval festivities and also during micaretas, the off-season traveling party that has already invaded our shores—through Florida).

Penned by Lenine and Dudu Falcão, the song is a patriotic message in which a person born in Brazil, wherever he or she is, will always have his or her roots:
 

Sou de qualquer lugar Eu sou minha nação Tenho somente o sonho E o mapa do mundo em minhas mãos Por onde eu passar Vão lembrar de mim Finco minha bandeira Eu sou brasileira, eu nasci assim

I am from anyplace I am my nation I have but a dream And a map of the world in my hands Wherever I go They will remember me I plant my flag I am Brazilian, I was born this way

Other surprising track is her remake of "Mutante" (Chameleon), a Rita Lee hit from the early eighties. While the original version was a romantic song, this one is clearly intended for nightclubs. The arrangement suits the song well without trying to be too creative. As a fan of Rita Lee, I believe that Daniela's version has Brazil's rock queen's blessing.

"Aeromoça" (Flight Attendant) is another good surprise. Penned by Daniela herself and Gabriel Povoas, it is clearly influenced by Adriana Calcanhotto, another young talent of the current wave of Brazilian singers. It is a mixture of psychodelia and eastern sounds in which Daniela laments the fact that she can't stay with her lover because she has "to fly."

"Estrelas" (Stars) features Brazilian reggae singer Toni Garrido from the band Cidade Negra. The song, obviously Jamaican-inspired, has a nice melody despite the lyrics, which tend to be a bit naïve:
 

Do céu estão caindo as estrelas Meu bem você precisa vê-las Brilhar

The stars fall from the skies Honey you should see them shine

A final highlight is "Quem Puder Ser Bom Que Seja" (Whoever Can Be Good, So Be It), penned by Gilberto Gil for the Eu, Tu, Eles (Me You Them) movie soundtrack. It is quite a change of pace for the record, played in forró, the recently rediscovered rhythm from the Brazilian Northeast.

Of course there are the songs that are clearly intentioned for Carnaval and micaretas. Sadly, those are the weakest—musically speaking—tracks on the CD. However, they do sound pleasant enough if you want to strut your stuff to a different beat. Some examples are Baiana Havaneira (penned by Carlinhos Brown) and the Ata-Me (Tie Me Up), which has much less sexual innuendo in the lyric than the title suggests.

Sou de Qualquer Lugar is an album with very hummable pop songs, which is a good selection for fans of contemporary Brazilian music.

Ernest Barteldes is an ESL and Portuguese teacher. In addition to that, he is a freelance writer who has been weekly contributing to the Greenwich Village Gazette since September 1999. His work has also been published by The Staten Island Advance, The Staten Island Register, The SI Muse, The Villager, Brazzil magazine, GLSSite and other publications. He lives on Staten Island, NY. He can be reached at ebarteldes@nycny.net

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