Thursday, November 19, 1998
Brazilian sensation treats L.A. to concert
MUSIC: International star will make UCLA her only local
performance
By Sam Toussi
Daily Bruin Contributor
You could blame it on the bossa nova, but you would miss the
point.
Marisa Monte, the Brazilian music icon, will perform this Friday
at UCLA’s Royce Hall. It will be her only Los Angeles
performance.
While some critics claim that her need to stay close to her
Brazilian, bossa nova roots will prevent her from reaching an
international audience, Monte says that attaining worldwide
recognition is now unimportant to her.
"I don’t think about doing records in English or translating my
repertoire to reach a bigger market here," Monte says. "I would
like to touch people the way I do in Brazil."
Monte (pronounced mon-CHEE) became an overnight sensation in
Brazil when she was just 22 years old. In 1989, her debut album
went platinum in Brazil, and in the last nine years, her celebrity
has begun to transcend national boundaries.
The fact that most of her songs are sung in Portuguese has not
stopped music lovers from appreciating her work. Reviewers have
noted the versatility and beauty of her voice. But, as the New York
Times noted last year, "she has a stage presence to rival her
singing."
"A nice voice only says so much," Monte says. "I think to be a
good singer is not just to have a good voice but to be in touch
with the feelings of the audience."
But her recent tour in the United States does not reflect a
desire to translate her fame in Brazil for an American audience.
Last year, the Los Angeles Times implied that Monte had to record
an English album if she ever wanted to gain any international
audience. Monte is perfectly comfortable with her status now. She
realizes the differences in the cultures, and does not seem to want
to even try to bridge them.
This comes as a result of the Brazilian culture deeply imbedded
into who Monte is as a person. To cross over to American culture,
she says, would be to leave part of herself behind.
"The kind of success I have in Brazil is very different from the
success I have in other parts of the world.
"Everybody knows my language, everybody knows the composers that
I’m singing, at least everybody has the opportunity to know these
things," Monte says.
"Outside of Brazil, my audience is more restricted, but most of
that audience is interested in music from abroad. It’s an
interesting audience, but it’s not as accessible than it is in
Brazil. It very colloquial there. Everyone can get it."
This is not to say that Monte only does Brazilian songs. She
performs many samples from North American blues and rock, which is
not surprising, given the cosmopolitan nature of Brazil.
Monte lists, in addition to samba and other Brazilian styles,
Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and the Beatles as musical
influences.
"I learned with all of them and I became influenced by all of
them," Monte says.
Monte says she would like to at least expose those Americans who
think Brazilian music is all bossa nova to what they’ve missed in
Brazilian music over the least forty years.
"I don’t have too many expectations," she says.
"It’s nice to come here and play for an American audience. But
for many Americans, Brazilian music is like the bossa nova, and
that just one of the wonderful styles we have over there."
Monte explains that the bossa nova was a musical movement of the
’50s and ’60s, saying that Europe kept in contact with new
developments in Brazilian music.
"But it’s like America missed the ’70s and ’80s, and now they’re
just starting to wake up to what’s going on over there," she
says.
And Monte is very in love with what is going on in Brazil. In
fact, she is in love with almost every aspect of Brazilian
culture.
"I’m a cultural patriot," Monte says. "I’m totally in love with
Brazilian culture."
She never talks about her own success, only of the culture and
society that formed her and her music.
"To talk about Brazil music is to talk about variety and
diversity," Monte says.
"It’s very natural for us there to express ourselves in
different musical styles. We’re very familiarized with them. We’re
a big country with people from different origins."
Even the cover of her new album, "A Great Noise," is drawn in
the style of one of Brazil’s most popular pop artists, Carlos
Zefiro.
Although his works were released anonymously in the ’50s and
’60s, the crudely printed pornographic pocket books were hugely
popular. By using his style on her cover, Monte reveals just how
much she loves her culture.
"The album cover reflects the popular art in Brazil," Monte
says.
She says Zefiro was once considered pornographic by the
oppressive Brazilian government in the ’50s and ’60s, but in the
’90s, his art is considered "naive."
"Even now he reflects the tastes in Brazil," Monte says. "For me
he is one of the founders of Brazilian popular culture."
MUSIC: Monte performs at Royce Hall Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. Tickets
are $30, $24, $19 and $11 (UCLA students with valid ID). Call
825-2101 for more information.
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