Brazil - BRAZZIL - Mona Gadelha on Prime Time - Brazilian Music - December 1999


Brazzil
December 1999
Music

Explosive Material

Mona Gadêlha is an accomplished songwriter and a mature singer. Ten years after arriving in São Paulo, the musician released her first album. The long wait was worthwhile. Mona Gadêlha, the album, features special guest appearances by such great musicians that clearly state the respect that the artist has won in the São Paulo music and show business scene. Now comes her second album. It's natural to expect Cenas & Dramas to be more successful than the first album. Mona is singing and composing better than ever.

Jefferson de Souza, critic

Mona Gadêlha's cradle was Ceará (A state in the Northeast of Brazil. In Brazil, the Northeast is a cultural melting pot similar to the Mississippi delta, with strong grassroots music and a rich folk tradition, that has had considerable influence upon Brazilian culture). But that does not matter at all. Her music is not the kind that can be bound by geographical locations. It is hardly—or even not at all—regional. Which, let us say, cannot be but on the positive side when we take it into account.

Mona, as she became known at first among friends and soon in the music and show business environment, is rather an urban, cosmopolitan artist that reaches beyond boundaries. Perhaps this explains her earlier involvement with rock music in the mid-70s in Fortaleza (capital of Ceará state), then a stronghold of the most traditional kind of mainstream MPB (Brazilian Popular Music).

Mona had her debut at the First Rock Festival of Ceará in 1974. She was the only female performer at the event and right away became the muse of Ceará rock music. The fact is that she made it to the local scene and formed the groups Kaleidoscópio and Emoções Perigosas (The translation would be "Cheap Thrills" although the word "Perigosas" means `Dangerous').

In 1979 she was featured in the Massafeira collection, a double album featuring 20 artists that brought together two generations of Ceará musicians. The recording of the blues that Mona had written and was included in that collection, "Cor de Sonho", had the participation of well-known and widely respected musicians Robertinho do Recife (guitar) and Túlio Mourão (piano). Curiously enough, this track became a hit on local radio stations in her native Fortaleza. The collection Massafeira also served the purpose of bringing Mona to the south of Brazil.

After her trip to Rio de Janeiro—where the recordings were made—during which she took advantage of the opportunity and recorded backing vocals for Ednardo (local Ceará artist who achieved nationwide success) in the album that takes his name for a title, she realized that her career as an artist would have to take place in the south, mainly around the Rio-São Paulo axis. Nevertheless, it took her six years to pack up for good. Before that, she successfully pursued a bachelor's degree in Social Communication Science at the Federal University in Ceará. Meanwhile, she was featured in several collections and performed in many shows. One of these shows, entitled Emoções Perigosas, was staged all over the Northeast in `84, with successful reviews and billings.

Ten years after arriving in São Paulo, Mona has finally made it to her solo album by Movieplay. The long wait was worthwhile. Produced by Alexandre Fontanetti, Mona Gadêlha, the album, features special guest appearances by such great musicians that clearly state the respect that the artist has won along this decade in the São Paulo music and show business scene. It is easy to understand why a debut album can rely on the `little help' of so many good friends: Mona is an accomplished songwriter and a mature singer. Her album is a well-balanced mix of pop and MPB (Brazilian Popular Music)—in case we are allowed to say there is any kind of difference between them. Mona Gadêlha is a great promise for Brazilian music. Let no one say they have not been warned.

Jefferson de Souza is a music critic.

Bluesy Mona

A good partnership is everything.

The meeting of composer and interpreter Mona Gadêlha with musicians André Magalhães and Álvaro Faria resulted in a series of involving songs tied together by a subtle intentional concept that defines the new album of the artist from Ceará. Not that they have composed something together, but that they have worked around a vibrant singularity in the production and arrangements of this new album.

Mona Gadêlha is releasing her second album, Cenas & Dramas, filled with electronics intervention combined with simple and relaxed rhythms. Cenas & Dramas is trip hop, distorted and melody guitars with tons of ballad, blues and vaudeville. It is a pure reflex of the consistent life of this singer who was born in Ceará and lives in São Paulo.

More cosmopolitan, she comes with her second album, maturing the ideas of the first one, Mona Gadêlha, which brought songs like "Cinema Noir", broadcast in some national radio stations and MTV. The video clip debuted in other countries like Mexico, Spain and Portugal, confirming the versatility of the artist.

It's natural to expect this album to be more successful than the first one; Mona is singing and composing better than ever. The compositions depict facts of life: home desertion, passion, disillusionment, and loneliness. Such themes match perfectly with the "bluesy" voice of Mona.

Cinema is another motive of her songwriting. Songs like "Cine Insane Blues", "Mais um Romance" and "Johnny Vai pra Guerra?" suggest short movie stories. By the way, "Crepúsculo de uma Deusa" is a suggestive song that mixes trip hop and pop with a Brazilian stress. The songs on the album have many accents, as well as scenes and drama; they are destined to become hits. In a productive scene of Brazilian female voices, Mona Gadêlha is an artist who deals in a way not orthodox to MPB, pop rock, and blues. Although these are her influences, Mona has her own unique style.

Produced by André Magalhães (Aquilo Deu Nisso's drummer) and Álvaro Faria (awarded VU studio producer of publicity soundtracks), the new album has the special participation of Lelo Nazario, Toninho Ferragutti, César Maluf, Maurício Pereira, Paulo Padilha, Cláudio Faria, Emerson Vilani and Ricardo Cunha. Besides her own songs, Mona sings the compositions of Edvaldo Santana and Lobão, and new talents like Fernando Pereira, Marcos Andrada e Wilson Ferreira (Vultos, a band from São Paulo in the 80's), the fellows Lúcio Ricardo and Siegbert Franklin (author of the album cover & partner of Mona Gadêlha.)

Sérgio Barbo is a critic and music researcher.

Mona Gadêlha's comments about the songs on the album Cenas & Dramas:

1. Crepúsculo de uma Deusa (Mona Gadêlha)—When I watched Sunset Boulevard (Crepúsculo dos Deuses, Gods' Twilight in Portuguese) I was very impressed with the interpretation of Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. I started thinking about fame and decadence. I wrote the song almost like a lullaby to "put stars to bed".

2. Mais um Romance (Mona Gadêlha)—Born with a nostalgic intendment of "disco music," but the arrangement of Álvaro Faria brought another language and more sensuality.

3. Johnny Vai pra Guerra? (Mona Gadêlha)—A dialogue with teenagers. I made it thinking of a 17-year-old friend who wanted to leave his parents.

4. O Amante (Mona Gadêlha)—A joke with infidelity—this feeling that sometimes assaults all of us human beings.

5. Farsantes Amantes (Marcos Andrada/Wilson Ferreira) Music from the time of the band Vultos, pioneer of rock music in São Paulo in the '80s. It was released in a Vultos LP and we decided to record it again with another arrangement. I even went to one of their concerts when I first arrived in São Paulo in '86.

6. Bem-Me-Quer (Onde Você Anda?) (Siegbert Franklin/Mona Gadêlha)—This is one of my partnerships with the singer, guitarist, and designer Siegbert Franklin from Ceará. When we were teenagers in Fortaleza, we created the rock band "Kaleidoscópio". That was the end of the '70s and we were having fun being rebels in Ceará.

7. Ouvindo o Coração (Edvaldo/Gildo Passos)—Edvaldo is one of my favorite composers. When I made my first album he prepared a cassette with several songs I liked. The first one I recorded was "Sinal". This is blues, absolutely impassioning.

8. Duro (Fernando Pereira)—Fernando is another composer I adore. This is the first time he has recorded and I feel honored by that. I had a cassette with many of his songs, but "Duro" was suggested by Álvaro Faria. These are lyrics I would like to have written.

9. Cine Insane Blues (Lúcio Ricardo)—Lúcio Ricardo is a singer and composer from Ceará. Together with Siegbert Franklin they were the legend rock group "Perfume Azul" in Fortaleza. We did many shows together and I am happy for being able to record him. That's my homage to the generation that initiated a pop-rock scene in Ceará.

10. Por Tudo Que For (Lobão/Bernardo Vilhena)—I adore the songs of Lobão and this is one of my favorites. I played this song for André on a cassette—just voice and acoustic guitar. He suggested doing this, with fewer instruments and in a lower tune.

Mona's Webpage: http://www.uol.com.br/monagadelha

How to contact Mona: outubro@uol.com.br   or Tel:(+5511) 5584-8108 (talk to Silvânia Barbosa).

All this material was translated from the Portuguese and organized by Marcos Borges, a Brazilian screenwriter/designer graduated in journalism. He lives in the Black Forest in Germany, where he works in the Media Village design studio. Some of his screenplays can be found in his homepage: http://mborges.homepage.com. Or you can get in touch with him at marcosborges@hotmail.com

The Lyrics


Crepúsculo de uma Deusa

(Mona Gadêlha)

Quem vai te acalentar
Nessa noite fria?
Quem vai te beijar
Nessa cama vazia?

Eu nunca te disse sim
Eu nada te prometi
Eu só estou aqui de passagem
Eu tenho que cuidar de mim
Não me olhe com esse olhar estranho
Não me chame, não diga meu nome
Não adianta, eu não vou te ouvir
Não faça cena, não

Não faça drama
Não me chame, não me telefone
Já percebi que é hora de sumir

Quem vai te acalentar
Nessa noite fria?
Quem vai te beijar
Nessa cama vazia?

Eu nunca te disse sim
Eu nada te prometi
Eu só entrei na tua história
Como quem veio pra se divertir
Vim conhecer o teu olhar noturno
Mas tuas fotos me chamaram
mais atenção
Veja, o mundo gira, o mundo é cruel
Quem vai guardar agora
Aquele velho troféu?

Quem vai te acalentar
Nessa noite fria?
Quem vai te beijar
Nessa cama vazia?


Twilight of a Goddess
(Mona Gadêlha)

Who is going to warm you
in this cold night?
Who is going to kiss you
In this empty bed?

I never said yes
I never promised anything
I'm here just passing by
I have to take care of myself
Don't look at me with this strange look
Don't call me, don't say my name
Don't try, I won't listen to you
Don't make a scene, don't

Don't make a drama
Don't call me, don't phone me
I realized it's time to disappear 

Who is going to warm you
In this cold night?
Who is going to kiss you
In this empty bed?

I never said yes
I haven't promised anything
I only entered into your story
Like somebody who came to have fun
I came to know your nocturnal look
But your photos called
my attention more
Look, the world turns, the world is cruel
Who's going to keep
That old trophy?

Who is going to warm you
In this cold night?
Who is going to kiss you
In this empty bed?

 


Bem-me-quer (Onde Anda Você?)
(Siegbert Franklin/Mona Gadêlha)

Onde você anda?
Meu coração fica louco
Se não respira teu olhar

Onde você anda?
Minha voz se acaba
Se não fala o seu nome

E quanto tempo você vai ficar longe?
Os amigos dizem que eu
Já não sou a mesma
Na fotografia beijo seu rosto
Do quarto imagino sua voz
na sala
E toda manhã eu penso
Que vou te encontrar
Na rua, num lugar qualquer
Quando volto
Tudo é tão vazio
Só a flor ainda insiste em dizer
que você
Me quer


He Loves Me (Where Are You?)
(Siegbert Franklin/Mona Gadêlha)

Where are you?
My heart gets crazy
If it doesn't breathe your look

Where are you?
My voice fails
If it doesn't speak your name

And how long are you going to stay far off?
The friends say
I'm not the same anymore
On the photo I kiss your face
From the bedroom I imagine your voice
in the living room
And every morning I think
I'm going to meet you
In the street, in any place
When I come back
Everything is so empty
Only the flower still insists to say
that you
Love me

 


Por Tudo Que For
(Lobão/Bernardo Vilhena)

E depois, a luz se apagou
E eu não consigo mais ficar
sozinho aqui
Sem você é tão ruim
Não tem sentido, prazer,
não há nada
Por favor, não me interprete mal
Eu não queria e nem devia te magoar
O tempo vem , o tempo vai
Passa por mim meio assim,
meio assim devagar
Vou dormir sentindo
O que a solidão pode fazer
A um coração ferido
Por saber que o erro era meu , só meu
Já passou, agora já passou
Mas foi tão triste
Que eu não quero nem lembrar
Ver você, ter você
E querer mais de nós dois
Não tem nada demais
E pensar, você aparecer pela janela
Tão bonita de manhã
Vem pra mim e não vai mais
Me abraça, me abraça, me abraça
Por tudo que for


For Everything
(Lobão/Bernardo Vilhena)

And afterwards, the lights went off
And I cannot stay here
alone anymore
Without you it's so awful
It doesn't make sense, there is no pleasure,
there is nothing
Please don't get me wrong
I didn't want to hurt you and I shouldn't
Time comes and goes
Passing me slowly
so, so
I'm going to sleep feeling
What loneliness can cause
To a hurting being
For knowing that the fault was mine only mine
It's already over, it's over now,
But it was so sad
That I don't even want to remember
To see you, to have you
And to want more of the two of us
That's not too much
And thinking of you to appear at the window
So beautiful in the morning
Come to me, and don't leave anymore
Hold me, hold me, hold me
For everything

 


Ouvindo o Coração
(Edvaldo Santana/Gildo Passos)

Não há jeito de esquecer a dor
De se perder alguém
Não há vento que espalhe as cinzas
Do que se gosta ainda
Quando chega a hora de ir embora
Não importa
Me bate um frio febril
Embriagado eu estou

Não importa quanto tempo essa vida
Me lançou na solidão
Vadiando pelas ruas, pelas bocas,
Pelos bares
Sem destino
Procurando uma emoção

Se um dia você ouvir
Essa voz ao meio-dia
Vai saber que há em mim
Um sonho onde mora você

Pra quem correu atrás
E já passou muito sufoco
Amar é muito mais
Só cama é muito pouco
Amor é paciência
Carinho, atenção
Amor é como um blues
Ouvindo o coração


Listening to the Heart
(Edvaldo Santana/Gildo Passos)

There is no way to forget the pain
Of losing someone
There is no wind that spreads the ashes
Of what one still likes
When the time comes to go
Doesn't matter
A feverish cold hits me
Drunk I am

It doesn't matter how much time this life
Threw me into loneliness
Idling through the streets, through the ghettos,
Through the pubs
Without destination,
Looking for emotion

If one day you hear
This voice at noon
You will know that there is
A dream in me in which you live

For somebody who fought
And who already suffered a lot
To love is much more
Only bed is not enough
Love is patience,
Caress, attention
Love is like a blues
Listening to the heart.

Send your
comments to
Brazzil

Brazil / Organic personal skin care wholesale / Brazil