Musically, the world is a great big place and nowhere is this more evident than in the career of Daniela Mercury. Though hardly unknown outside of her native Brazil, the Bahian-born singer is criminally unknown in the United States. She’s had more #1 hits in Brazil than any other female artist. Globally she’s sold over 20 million albums. Daniela Mercury is a superstar, a true international icon.
Her latest album, Virtual Vinyl, continues her upward trajectory from her start as a dancer through her long career as a solo artist. The album is a fusion of styles that, despite having only one song in English, her whimsical, idealized view of life, “Frogs in the Sky,” is very accessible to most listeners.
It hints at her roots in Salvador de Bahia, the musical capital of Brazil, and the grand Trios Eléctricos—giant rolling party machines, which are central to Carnival celebrations in the city. But it also reaches into the modern era with electronic, rock, and reggae touches.
One cut, “Antropofágicos São Paulistanos,” rocks out with buzzing electric guitar and a vocal that hints at high energy rapping. In the middle of the song, she exclaims in English, “To be or not to be.”
Another highlight of the album, which also alludes to her roots in Bahia, is a guest performance by Gilberto Gill that is also an homage to the great Brazilian artist. He plays acoustic guitar and sings on “De Deus, De Alah, De Gilberto Gil,” which means “God, Allah, Gilberto Gil.”
On a personal note, I had the chance to see Mercury perform a few years ago on a beach in Salvador on New Year’s Day. In keeping with Brazilian custom, and one that country shares with New Orleans, Mercury was quite late hitting the stage. As we waited, the audience grew to dwarf the massive crowd amassed the night before for New Year’s Eve.
