Redefining Brazilian Music
Marisa Monte Returns to Miami and With a Wealth of New Sounds

“I knew that there was an incredible repertoire verbally handed down which was being lost little by little.”

by Rayme Samuels

Marisa Monte is the Madonna of Brazil, a chameleon of musical styles and genres, yet nowhere near as scandalous. While her look has remained classic over the last two decades, Marisa Monte deftly transforms herself into a bossa nova superstar, a samba sensation and even a pop music prodigy. She demanded her seat among legendary Brazilian musicians when she made her debut in 1989 with her unexpected yet insanely well-received self-titled album, and spearheaded the MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) movement.

On Sept. 12, Blue Note/Metro Blue Records simultaneously released Monte’s two newest solo albums, Universo ao Meu Redor and Infinito Particular. The promotion of these two masterpieces bring Monte back for her first U.S. concert tour in six years, with planned performances in Miami at the Gusman Center on Friday and Saturday night. Expect to hear tracks off her two latest albums, while enjoying classic hits like “Nao e Facil” and “De Noite Na Cama.”

During her extended sabbatical, Monte spent time raising her son and reflecting on the musical journey of her past 17 years on the international scene. After whirlwind tours and endless hours in recording studios, this Carioca (a native of Rio De Janeiro) had a chance to examine the daily quirks of her hometown. One of the most special aspects of Rio is, of course, samba music. Monte’s father, director of the Portela Escola de Samba — one of Rio’s finest samba schools — was responsible for the singer’s early immersion in this Brazilian art form. Her memories inspired her to delve deeply into the history of samba. “I knew that there was an incredible repertoire verbally handed down which was being lost little by little,” explains Marisa.

The findings of her social experiment are responsible for Universo ao Meu Redor (The Universe Around Me). A collection of new and old sambas, this album compiles the classic compositions of legendary musicians including Jaime Silva, Casemiro Vieira and Moraes e Galväo, with contemporary productions cowritten by Monte and Arnaldo Antunes, Carlinhos Brown and Carlos Da Silva. “I would say that this album of mine focused more on the atmosphere of samba than on samba itself, with its most repeated motifs: love, nature, music, the human condition ... coexistence through art.…,” she continues.

Infinito Particular is a gorgeously dark album, laced with a hopeful peacefulness that is inspiring. It proves to be an album fitting of a woman with Monte’s amazing life experience, a tale for every sorrow and every joy. After searching through her old notebooks and recordings, Monte compiled this contemporary pop record on which she features previously unrecorded tunes from throughout her 15 years of songwriting. Tracks cowritten by Monte and talented newer artists like Seu Jorge, Carlinhos Brown and Pedro Baby can also be found on this inspiring record.

Marisa Monte dotes on her two masterpieces with a protective tenderness that only a proud mother can: “Created at the same time like fraternal twins, they now come into the world on the same day. Yet, they are very different. Each has its own story. Each speaks with its own voice.”

Marisa Monte will perform on Nov. 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami. Tickets are $38-$73. Call 305-374-2444 or visit www.rhythmfoundation.com.

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