Djavan

line up

• André Vasconcelos (Bass)
• Djavan Viana (Vocal and Guitar)
• Marcos Suzano (Percusion)
• Torquato Mariano (Guitar)

• country:
  Brazil
• region:
  Northeast Brazil
• style(s):
  Brazilian MPB
• label:
  Biscoito Fino
• type:
  Composer/Songwriter
• gender:
  male
• instrumentation:
  instrumental, vocal
• artist submitted by:
  Babel Produções Artisticas

Djavan is a Brazilian composer, singer, and the owner of a respectable discography. His international success has taken him to the highest-ranking venues worldwide and his songs have been recorded by Al Jarreau, Carmen McRae, the Manhattan Transfer, and, in Brazil by Gal Costa, Paralamas doSucesso,Ed Motta,Leila Pinheiro,Chico Cesar,DoriCaymmi, Nana Caymmi,Rosa Passos, Lenine, Elba Ramalho, Joao Bosco, Zelia Duncan, Leny Andrade,Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Jane Duboc, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Beth Carvalho, Joao Donato, Joyce, Johnny Alf, and other artists.

Djavan had early contact with music through his mother. From the environment, he took the rich northeastern folklore as influences. But he only began to play at 16, when he took the violao as a self-taught instrument. Abandoning his studies, he had to work small jobs. Still in his hometown, he formed the group LSD (Luz, Som, Dimensao), which covered the Beatles' repertory, playing in every venue for pocket money. Moving to Rio in 1973, he became acquainted with Edson Mauro, a fellow statesman who was Radio Globo's sports speaker, and presented Djavan to Adelzon Alves, who introduced him to Som Livre's producer Joao Mello. A month later, he was hired by Som Livre as a singer for soap opera soundtracks. In this capacity, he would record the songs "Qual e" (Marcos and Paulo Sergio Valle) for the soap opera Ossos do Barao, "Presuncosa" (Antonio Carlos and Jocafi) for Super Manuela, "Calmaria e Vendaval" (Toquinho and Vinicius) for Fogo sobre terra, and "Alegre Menina" (Dori Caymmi and Jorge Amado) for Gabriela. He also participated in severalhit-paraderecords,recording other composers'songs. Meanwhile, to fatten his meager budget, he worked as a crooner for four years at Number One and 706 nightclubs, before his breakthrough as a
composer. Participating in TV Globo's festival Abertura (1975), he won second place with his song "Abertura." His first single came four months later with the songs "E que Deus Ajude," "Um Dia," "Rei do Mar," and "Fato Consumado." One year after, he recorded his first LP, (A Voz, o Violao e a Arte de Djavan, Som Livre),which had "Fato Consumando," "E que Deus Ajude,""Para Raio," "Maria das Mercedes," "Na Boca do Beco," "Ventos do Norte,""Magia", "Muito Obrigado," "Maca do Rosto," "Embola Bola," "Quantas Voltas da meu Mundo," and "Flor de Lis," the latter scoring a big hit which endures even today.
A while later, he did a solo show at the 706 nightclub for three months. He recorded a single arranged by Joao Donato with songs "E hora" and "Romeiros" and left Som Livre for Odeon. He then recorded Djavan (1979), Alumbramento
(1980), and Seduzir (1981). In 1982, he signed with CBS, recorded Luz in the U.S. (produced by Ronnie Foster), where he made contacts with Quincy Jones, who acquired the publishing rights of many of his songs through Djavan's own
publishing Luanda. Stevie Wonder was a guest star on that album. In 1984, he recorded Lilas with production help from Eric Bulling, whose international sound can be heard on that album. In the same year, he worked in the film Para Viver um Grande Amor (Miguel Faria, Jr.). He also recorded Brazilian Knights and a Lady (1985), Meu Lado (1986), Nao e Azul mas e Mar (1987), and Bird of Paradise (1988). In 1989, he did Djavan, accompanied by flamenco guitar player Paco de Lucia on the track "Oceano," included in a major soap opera. He followed with Puzzle of Hearts (1990), Coisa de acender (1991, with a partnership with Caetano Veloso on "Linha do Equador"), and Novena(1994). In 1996, he recorded Malasia, which had Tom Jobim's "Correnteza" included on a prime time soap opera and, in 1998, Bicho Solto o 13o. In 1999, he recorded Ao Vivo in two volumes, which sold 2 million copies and garnered him his first Diamond Record. He was awarded with three Multishow prizes: Best CD, Best Show, and Best Singer (popular election by vote of the cable channel spectators). He was paid tribute in the series Talento Brasileiro and with three Lumiar Songbooks, having his songs performed by Gal Costa, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ed Motta, Claudio Zolli, Angela Ro Ro, Leila Pinheiro, Garganta Profunda, Chico Cesar, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi,Rosa Passos, Rosana, Orlando Morais, Lenine,Paulinho Moska, Elba Ramalho,Joao Bosco, Zelia Duncan, Cidade Negra, Sandra de Sa, Leny Andrade, Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Jane Duboc, Ze Ricardo, Personagens, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Beth Carvalho, Joao Donato, Daude, Joyce, Johnny Alf, Eduardo Dusek, Be Happy, Fatima Guedes, and Clara Sandroni. The following year, Djavan won a Grammy for Best Brazilian Song for "Acelerou" at the first Latin Grammy Awards.
"Milagreiro", album released in 2002 features Miles Davis bassist Marcus Miller performing in a solo song called "Alem de Amar" sang by Djavan in a brilliant duet. This album presents his first album with a duo with Cassia Eller, both singing one of the principal singles called such as the album title "Milagreiro" and contains special performances of his sons Joao Viana on drums and Max Viana playing guitars.
In 2004 Djavan has became an "Indie" artist. Following all changes in the worldwide music marketing and its new technologies, inspired by own purpose in administrate his albuns, amazingly, after 25 years casting Sony Music he
decided to release himself next albuns as an independent artist represented by his label Luanda Records Brasil Gravadora.
2005 year brought to the audience DJAVAN NA PISTA, etc. album produced by ex-Mutantes Liminha beginning their first partnership in studio. The artist recorded various very wellknown songs in different dancing rithyms. Samba, latin salsa and so many others kinds were transformed in party shuffles.
While its been very successful in radios, dancing floors and TVs in Brazil,he prepares a new album/DVD to be released in 2007.
Djavan is a Brazilian composer, singer, and the owner of a respectable discography. His international success has taken him to the highest-ranking venues worldwide and his songs have been recorded by Al Jarreau, Carmen McRae, the Manhattan Transfer, and, in Brazil by Gal Costa, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ed Motta, Leila Pinheiro, Chico Cesar, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi,Rosa Passos, Lenine, Elba Ramalho, Joao Bosco, Zelia Duncan, Leny Andrade, Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Jane Duboc, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Beth Carvalho, Joao Donato, Joyce, Johnny Alf, and other artists.

Djavan had early contact with music through his mother. From the environment, he took the rich northeastern folklore as influences. But he only began to play at 16, when he took the violao as a self-taught instrument. Abandoning his studies, he had to work small jobs. Still in his hometown, he formed the group LSD (Luz, Som, Dimensao), which covered the Beatles' repertory, playing in every venue for pocket money. Moving to Rio in 1973, he became acquainted with Edson Mauro, a fellow statesman who was Radio Globo's sports speaker, and presented Djavan to Adelzon Alves, who introduced him to Som Livre's producer Joao Mello. A month later, he was hired by Som Livre as a singer for soap opera soundtracks. In this capacity, he would record the songs "Qual e" (Marcos and Paulo Sergio Valle) for the soap opera Ossos do Barao, "Presuncosa" (Antonio Carlos and Jocafi) for Super Manuela, "Calmaria e Vendaval" (Toquinho and Vinicius) for Fogo sobre
terra, and "Alegre Menina" (Dori Caymmi and Jorge Amado) for Gabriela. He also participated in several hit-parade records, recording other composers' songs. Meanwhile, to fatten his meager budget, he worked as a crooner for four years at Number One and 706 nightclubs, before his breakthrough as a composer. Participating in TV Globo's festival Abertura (1975), he won second place with his song "Abertura." His first single came four months later with the songs "E que Deus Ajude," "Um Dia," "Rei do Mar," and "Fato Consumado." One year after, he recorded his first LP, (A Voz, o Violao e a Arte de Djavan, Som Livre), which had "Fato Consumando," "E que Deus Ajude," "Para Raio," "Maria das Mercedes," "Na Boca do Beco," "Ventos do Norte," "Magia", "Muito Obrigado," "Maca do Rosto," "Embola Bola," "Quantas Voltas da meu Mundo," and "Flor de Lis," the latter scoring a big hit which endures even today.
A while later, he did a solo show at the 706 nightclub for three months. He recorded a single arranged by Joao Donato with songs "E hora" and "Romeiros" and left Som Livre for Odeon. He then recorded Djavan (1979), Alumbramento(1980), and Seduzir (1981). In 1982, he signed with CBS, recorded Luz in the U.S. (produced by Ronnie Foster), where he made contacts with Quincy Jones, who acquired the publishing rights of many of his songs through Djavan's own publishing Luanda. Stevie Wonder was a guest star on that album. In 1984, he recorded Lilas with production help from Eric Bulling, whose international sound can be heard on that album. In the same year, he worked in the film Para Viver um Grande Amor (Miguel Faria, Jr.). He also recorded Brazilian Knights and a Lady (1985), Meu Lado (1986), Nao e Azul mas e Mar (1987), and Bird of Paradise (1988). In 1989, he did Djavan, accompanied by flamenco guitar player Paco de Lucia on the track "Oceano," included in a major soap opera. He followed with Puzzle of Hearts (1990), Coisa de acender (1991, with a partnership with Caetano Veloso on "Linha do Equador"), and Novena (1994). In 1996, he recorded Malasia, which had Tom Jobim's "Correnteza" included on a prime time soap opera and, in 1998, Bicho Solto o 13o. In 1999, he recorded Ao Vivo in two volumes, which sold 2 million copies and garnered him his first Diamond Record. He was awarded with three Multishow prizes: Best CD, Best Show, and Best Singer (popular election by vote of the cable channel spectators). He was paid tribute in the series Talento Brasileiro and with three Lumiar Songbooks, having his songs performed by
Gal Costa, Paralamas do Sucesso, Ed Motta, Claudio Zolli, Angela Ro Ro, Leila Pinheiro, Garganta Profunda, Chico Cesar, Dori Caymmi, Nana Caymmi,Rosa Passos, Rosana, Orlando Morais, Lenine, Paulinho Moska, Elba Ramalho, Joao Bosco, Zelia Duncan, Cidade Negra, Sandra de Sa, Leny Andrade, Chico Buarque, Daniela Mercury, Ney Matogrosso, Dominguinhos, Jane Duboc, Ze Ricardo, Personagens, Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Beth Carvalho, Joao Donato, Daude, Joyce, Johnny Alf, Eduardo Dusek, Be Happy, Fatima Guedes, and Clara Sandroni. The following year, Djavan won a Grammy for Best Brazilian Song for "Acelerou" at the first Latin Grammy Awards."Milagreiro", album released in 2002 features Miles Davis bassist Marcus Miller performing in a solo song called "Alem de Amar" sang by Djavan in a brilliant duet. This album presents his first album with a duo with Cassia Eller, both singing one of the principal singles called such as the album title "Milagreiro" and contains special performances of his sons Joao Viana on drums and Max Viana playing guitars.
In 2004 Djavan has became an "Indie" artist. Following all changes in the worldwide music marketing and its new technologies, inspired by own purpose in administrate his albuns, amazingly, after 25 years casting Sony Music he
decided to release himself next albuns as an independent artist represented by his label Luanda Records Brasil Gravadora. 2005 year brought to the audience DJAVAN NA PISTA, etc. album produced by ex-Mutantes Liminha beginning their first partnership in studio. The artist recorded various very wellknown songs in different dancing rithyms. Samba, latin salsa and so many others kinds were transformed in party shuffles.
While its been very successful in radios, dancing floors and TVs in Brazil, he prepares a new album/DVD to be released in 2007.

"Matizes"(Shades) is Djavan's 18th album, the third one released on his own label Luanda Records. As everything Djavan does, the 12 songs included in this album are a trademark of his style, beyond compare, the music and lyrics as well as the arrangements. The band has been following him for almost 10 years now with two of his sons Max Viana (guitar) and Joao Viana (drums) by his side together with Sergio Carvalho (bass), Renato Fonseca (piano) and some of the best musicians in Brazil : Josue Lopez (tenor saxophone), Walmir Gil (trumpet) and Francois Lima (trombone). Djavan's acoustic guitar is omnipresent like the rest of the band. An unique and pure sound. "Joaninha" is an instant classic with a complex harmony, an original melody. The lyric is a sophisticated personal reflection with a poetic imagery typical of Djavan. And the best of all is that Djavan is once again dedicating himself to the "samba" (a Brazilian music genre): the title track "Matizes", "Delirio dos Mortais", a tribute to Rio de Janeiro, "Imposto", carrying a touch of "bossa nova" and "Azedo e Amargo". But we can also hear a mixture of "bolero" and a very Latin and dancing Cuban sound in "Louca Fina", "Desandou", as Caetano Veloso once called it - "the Djavan's blues", and the ballad "Por Uma Vida Em Paz", with a jazzy atmosphere filled up with the most beautiful lyric. "Fera", "Pedra" and "Adorava Me Ver Como Seu" show Djavan's musical synthesis and his band's sharpness. Djavan has indeed developed an affectionate musical speech very much of his own.

Aria Djavan

Djavan is releasing "Aria", his first album as an interpreter in 34 years of career, a partnership between Biscoito Fino and Luanda Records.

"Aria" is the most awaited moment of the opera, the culmination, the privileged space of sublime melody. Aria, Djavan's new CD, is one of the most expected albums of Brazilian contemporary music, the moment when one of the most beautiful voices in the world is dedicated, for the first time, exclusively to singing without worrying about new compositions.

Every time he recorded other songwriters' material, such as Paulinho da Viola (Coracao Leviano), Luiz Bonfa and Tom Jobim (Correnteza) or even an universal classic such as Smile, by Chaplin, it was impossible not to think about how beautiful it would be to have an entire record of Djavan with other composers' songs. Djavan took this historical obligation, so to say, and instead of coming out with the obvious album that people were expecting, full of beautiful songs sung by a beautiful voice, he made a beautiful record indeed but also amazing, unusual, innovative.

The repertoire choice is very surprising with great classics such as Palco (Gilberto Gil), Valsa Brasileira (Edu Lobo and Chico Buarque), Apoteose ao Samba (Silas de Oliveira and Mano Decio) and even Frank Sinatra's Fly Me To The Moon totally guided by the singer's emotional memory and no other rational criteria. The unusual instrumental set-up is small and vigorous but aesthetically liberating: just his own acoustic guitar, Torcuato Mariano's electric and acoustic guitar, the acoustic bass of Andre Vasconcellos and Marcos Suzano's multiple percussion. It is innovative since Djavan chooses popular songs, most of them very well known, and, without losing its essence, presents some formal jazzy recordings, loose melodies that seem to fly over the rhythmic and harmonious bases. It is an album from a master in the art of singing, playing and arranging: light and rejuvenated with the songs sounding brand new.

In a certain way, "Aria" is a return to the beginning of Djavan's career, in the early 70's, when he arrived in Rio from Alagoas, before becoming a successful songwriter with Fato Consumado and Flor-de-Lis, and still making a living as a crooner at historical nightclubs such as Number One and 706. From this same period, he got one of the most surprising tracks of the album, Brigas Nunca Mais, which is a samba originally written by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes transformed here in a waltz, a typical nightclub joke:

- I sang this song a lot in nightclubs, I even got irritated because people asked me to sing it every night. In doing so, I discovered new ways of singing it - is how Djavan explains his subverted version of the samba released by Joao Gilberto.

And with this intuitive and personal approach, Djavan went on choosing the arias of "Aria". One of the most beautiful lyrics and melodies taken from Cartola's repertoire (a partnership with Dalmo Castello), Disfarca e Chora is reinvented by Djavan playing an acoustic guitar just for the pleasure of rearranging a classic, revealing dissonances and emphasizing its beauty. The mantra of Caetano Veloso, Oracao ao Tempo, another classic, one would say, untouchable, reappears full of subtle inventions and a magnificent percussion performance by Marcos Suzano.

Fly Me To The Moon and Palco, two equally unquestionable standards, became part of the repertoire for the pure musical desire of dealing with songs that are very well known. The first one, "the most commonplace of all", as defined by Djavan, resulted in pure musical pleasure, and really the most jazzy track, plenty of improvisations. Palco, no less than a commonplace hit of Gilberto Gil, was a "marvelous challenge" says Djavan. The result is probably the most pop track of the album, very swinging, totally Djavan-style, which is very different from the swinging of Gil. Check it out.

Apoteose ao Samba is the result of a strong wish to talk about samba, to honor it, an important aspect of Djavan's authorial work. Not only that but the samba of Silas and Mano Decio, the most traditional partners of Imperio Serrano, ended up looking like one of those syncopated sambas typical of the composer Djavan.

But "Aria" does not live by well known arias only. From the most remote and warmest memory of the singer emerged Sabes Mentir, a samba-cancao with a note of bolero, which was written by Othon Russo, part of Angela Maria's repertoire and learned in his childhood while listenning to his mother's singing over and over again

And from an affectionate memory of his childhood, he brought the instrumental version of Treze de Dezembro, an old theme written by Ze Dantas and Luiz Gonzaga, reinvented here with a jazzy costume. From his teens, came the beautiful version of the balad Nada A Nos Separar, picked up from the repertoire of Trio Esperanca.

- I adored Trio Esperanca, specially the voice of Evinha, who used to make powerful records before moving to Paris reveals Djavan.

He was already a successful musician in Rio when he grew quite fond of Beto Guedes, a colleague of the same generation, the composer of Luz e Misterio (together with Caetano Veloso), interpreted by Djavan just for the pleasure of singing it. From his partner Chico Buarque (together with Edu Lobo), Djavan travels through Valsa Brasileira and faces the complexity of the lyrics and melody, showing his full potential as a singer.

Aware of what is happening in the international musical scenery, Djavan selected La Noche, a contemporary Spanish song from singer Montse Cortez' repertoire which was introduced to him by his son Max Viana. In this track, Djavan's personal singing style clearly approaches one of the most influential schools in international pop music flamenco.

- I never imagined making a record like this because writing songs has always been a pleasure. So I thought: I'm going to have fun. And I also thought: it's going to be an easy record, I won't have to write the songs. I was mistaken: I ended up having a great time reinventing and researching other people's songs but it was also one of the most difficult records to make, particularly when I had to choose the repertoire states Djavan.

From the most distant reminiscences to the most recent information, and based on the Brazilian lyrical heritage, Djavan presents an album of rare aesthetic detachment, with an intense compromise with what really matters the music. The result can be heard with renewed joy and surprise as the most awaited aria.

Hugo Sukman
Translated by Regina Vidal