Monday, January 11, 2010

VANESSA DA MATA: DRAMA MODE À LA BRÉSILIENNE

I just got back from an amazing trip to Salvador, Bahía in Brazil and I have to say I SO needed a trip like this. It was the perfect combination of friends, location and atmosphere. It had been over 10 years since I had last been to Brazil (I went to both Rio and Florianopolis at different times in the same year) and the main purpose of this trip was this New Years celebration.
Though I have many things to talk about this travelling experience (and hopefully most of them will make it to my blog), I'm going to concentrate on the New Years party we went to. I must admit, most of my friends (we were a bunch from Peru, others from Argentina and then another bunch from other cities in Brazil), were a bit uneasy regarding the musical entertainers for the actual party : Vanessa da Mata and Ivete Sangalo.






When I had originally signed up for this trip, I thought Daniela Mercury would be peforming, with whom I'm perfectly familiar (I have a couple of her cd's and have been to a concert of hers in my teens when I lived in Montevideo), but then realized she'd be peforming at the beach on January 1st.



I did some research, and concentrated on Ivete Sangalo, having heard a bit more of her than Vanessa da Mata, but I wasn't thrilled with what I found on youtube.
I have to say this changed COMPLETELY once we were at the party. We got there minutes before Vanessa da Mata appeared onstage and she totally ROCKED. It was impossible to sit still while she was there, performing like a true artist, fabulously styled hair (flower included) and flawless voice. Though Ivete was ENERGY personified,and managed to keep us dancing and jumping with a smile on our faces through the rest of the night (she appeared a bit before midnight and kept on going for an amazing THREE HOURS), I have totally fallen for da Mata.
There is one thing I've learned from this concert, and that is that when music is of a good, elaborate quality, it knows no boundaries. I had NEVER heard one of her songs before, neither did I understand 90% of the lyrics (I found out on this trip that my knowledge of portuguese was practically null), but I could not help myself from dancing and enjoying it.
I've become obsessed with one particular song, which struck me IMMEDIATELY as she performed it, it's already on my iPod (thanks to Cristian who let me download the songs from his cd). It's called Você Vai Me Destruir. It has become my new DRAMA MODE anthem. It couldn't be more dramatic, more divalicious, more 70's disco/funk inspired yet Brazilian by heart. Though the song is on repeat practically 24/7 ever since I got back (you should have seen me screaming the chorus out loud as I went for a run yesterday), I find it will be almost impossible to surpass the live performance she delivered on New Year's Eve.
I have found a video on youtube of another performance of hers (love the outfit and scenery), just so you can enjoy it as much as I did. Here it goes :



P.S: THE LYRICS! (English translation available at http://lyricstranslate.com/en/voce-vai-me-destruir-you-will-destroy-me.html)

Está acabando o amor
Você ainda não veio
Não disse, não ligou
Se vem viver comigo

Se me quer como amiga
Se não quer mais me ver
Você vai me esquecer
Você vai me fazer padecer

Está acabando o amor
Você já não me pertence
Eu vejo por aí
Você não está comigo

Nessa nossa disputa
Nesse seu jeito bom
Eu não quero saber
Você vai desdenhar
E vai sofrer

Você vai me destruir
Como uma faca cortando as etapas
Furando ao redor
Me indignando, me enchendo de tédio
Roubando o meu ar
Me deixa só e depois não consegue
Não me satisfaz

Está acabando o amor
Você já não me pertence
Eu sinto por aí
Você não está comigo

Nessa nossa disputa
Nesse seu jeito bom
Eu não quero saber
Você vai desdenhar
E vai perder

Você vai me destruir
Como uma faca cortando as etapas
Furando ao redor
Me indignando, me enchendo de tédio
Roubando o meu ar
Me deixa só e depois não consegue
Não me satisfaz

Pensando em te matar de amor ou de dor eu te espero calada

UPDATE: YAAAAY!!! I found a video from the actual New Year's Eve concert, here it goes.