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We continue now, enjoying the company of Daniela Mercury. There are more questions from the audience.

Woman: Daniela, we would like to know something about your personal life. Are you married or divorced? Do you have children? Are you in love?

I have always been married to music. I am in love with life and with people in general. I have two children. I am divorced. Their names are Gabriel and Giovanna. She is a dancer, and he is a musician, too.

Does he play with you?

No, not yet. He is just getting started. He is practicing for playing with me. He sings very well. He recorded something for one of my albums when he was younger. He has a very beautiful voice.

How old is he?

He is 22. It was hard when I was just beginning. I was working and attending college. I took dance lessons at Federal University of Bahía. I taught classical ballet, jazz, and afro for six years. I used to sing at night, almost every day, and later on at carnivals. They were raised around music. It was easy for them to handle all of this because they were young.

All that busy kind of life. Daniela, your father used to hear you sing but had never seen you on stage. Do you remember what you were singing the first time he saw you, and you made him cry?

I was singing...

[singing in Portuguese]

[clapping]

"El sueño imposible". Poor dad, he just had to say, "Yes."

I am working for peace, too. I am a World Ambassador for Unicef. I have been involved with it in Brazil for many years. I also work with ALAS, the Latin American Social Action Foundation, with Shakira, Ricky Martin, Alejandro Sanz, Miguel Bosé, and many other artists. Together, we work for the children in Latin America. I work with many institutions. This is my way, besides music, to contribute to peace.

Tell us a little about how you write. I wonder about that when I listen to your music. How do you write? Do you already have a melody in mind? What is the process?

I usually have some rhythm in my head. I like to do it with no harmony or instruments. Then, I write the lyrics or the idea and I start seeing where that goes. I work on the melody later on. I think the melody is the most important part of music. When the melody is very beautiful, anyone can play it anywhere in the world. I have some songs that talk about being a woman and about independence and freedom. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always liked being an independent woman.

You were the first woman in Brazil to sing samba-reggae. Well, you didn't start out singing this rhythm, but you became famous after doing it. Do you feel that somehow you have managed to open doors for other women? For example, I can't imagine there would be artists like Ivete Sangalo if you had not had such a huge success.

I intended to achieve something, and I managed to do it. I managed to open music doors for Brazilian music. In 1992, I was the first artist to propose a concept and break musical barriers with Brazilian music.

We can compare it to what Shania Twain did with country music here in the United States.

They didn't know samba-reggae in Brazil. There was nobody who could perform current Bahian music from my generation, Brazilian popular music. "El canto de la ciudad" is a song that opened doors for Brazilian music.

Tell me about "O Canto da Cidade."

Ok!

Finally! That song was a milestone. Did you write it?

I wrote it along with Tote Gira, a composer from my town. He makes samba-reggae music. He sent me part of the music played by instruments. I heard it. It was beautiful. It went like this...

[singing in Portuguese]

It talks about Black people. It is a black person singing and talking.

[speaking Portuguese]

I am the silence at night, the sun in the morning. The world spins around a thousand times.

Yes.

But there is an end. I am the first one to sing. I am the carnival. It talks about the pride of being black, as I had previously mentioned. He composed that part. I added the ghetto, the rua, the street part. Where do faith and strength come from? We don't know. It comes from the people and the city. It is a special song that turned me into a singer about black pride in Brazil.

And what happened next? The song started to be played on every radio station in Brazil and outside of Salvador. Who did they think sang the song? Did they think that it was sung by a black person?

Yes.

What did they say when they first saw Daniela Mercury?

They started to understand why this song was one of the most often played songs in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The song has something magical, and it made my music and my work international. It became popular in Europe and the United States, especially in Miami, where people know it.

Was it because of this song that you thought you could take samba-reggae around the world? We could say that was how you started your "master plan"...

Yes. It was my second hit in Brazil. The first was...

[singing in Portuguese]

In Brazil, in the northeast, the first song was "Swing Da Cor". But, "Canto da Cidade" was amazingly popular. I was invited to Europe, Argentina and Uruguay. I performed in front of millions of people in those places.

Is that what you do now? Besides playing thousands of concerts in Brazil every year, do you spend time traveling abroad?

I spend half of the year abroad.

Ok. Have you seen a change in the last 12 years in the Latin American music market?

Latin American music has become the most important music in the world. I am very happy about that. I am going to keep on singing in Portuguese. That will contribute to making Latin American music stronger. Our inclusion is very important, as well. Brazil is the biggest country in Latin America. Art and music certainly are a way to learn more about each other in political and social terms. Music can help us come together.

You have recorded in Spanish. Do you have any short-term plans to record anything else in Spanish?

Yes, Spanish is a beautiful language.

You speak it very well.

You have down the intonation of Spanish. That is not very common in Portuguese. You have more S and L sounds. Sometimes it is difficult for me to translate my music into Spanish... Even my voice changes. I like singing in Spanish a lot.

Todas las voces todas, todas las manos todas, toda la sangre puede § ser canción en el viento. Canta conmigo, canta, hermano americano, § libera tu esperanza § con un grito en la voz. § Linda Latinoamérica, § linda Latinoamérica, § linda Latinoamérica negra, § linda Latinoamérica...

This is my own version of that song.

[clapping]

This is my black Latin America. I like our culture and our people's happiness. I would like for Latin people to be respected in the United States and in Europe. The immigrants really struggle, really work hard. They are helping build this country. The United States is a country that has been built by immigrants. So... Latin people help make this country better!

[clapping]

Stay tuned! We'll be back with more about Daniela Mercury.

Now you can describe your perfect night.

This is very dangerous!

[clapping]

Daniela is talking to everyone.

I'm making friends here.

Our Top 20 is up next. I am going to ask you some questions, and you have to answer very quickly. No time for thinking! You can't give any explanation at all.

Yes, ma'am.

Brad Pitt or George Clooney?

George Clooney.

Queen or The Who?

Queen... Mercury, a relative, a buddy.

What poster did you have in your room when you were a teenager?

Mikhail Baryshnikov's.

What do you keep in the drawer of your nightstand?

A poetry book by Fernando Pessoa.

What is the strangest rumor you have heard about yourself?

That I was the cause of a Brazilian artist's divorce. It wasn't me!

It wasn't you.

Chico Buarque's divorce... It wasn't like that.

He was a great musician.

He was wonderful. Even my father asked, "Did you have...?"

What...?

It was a rumor, but it was not true.

The sexiest man from rock or other kind of music today?

Alejandro Sanz is very sexy.

Ok. What is the biggest lie you have ever told in an interview?

Leila, I don't tell lies!

Ok. Describe your perfect night.

This is getting dangerous!

[laughing]

The perfect night...

You are sweating!

On the beach, when I was a teenager. It was special and awe inspiring.

Two records you would take with you to a desert island...

Only two?

Only two.

Garota de Ipanema. I have all of Tom's albums, and there have been many compilations and remixes...

[singing in Portuguese]

He changed Brazilian music with that song.

Yes. What song makes you cry?

A song by Elis Regina. It goes like this:

[singing in Portuguese]

It is very sad and very powerful. It talks about not coming back ever again... a very difficult situation.

I am going to change topics now. So you can smile... I hope. What do you spend your money on?

On clothes.

Do you sleep with or without pajamas?

Without pajamas.

What would you give Juan Luis Guerra as a present?

I have a gift for him... all of the DVDs by Chico Buarque.

[laughing]

All of the DVDs... I would also teach him how to sing a samba-reggae, just as he taught me how to sing and dance merengue.

Perfect.

You like that?

I like that! What is it that men will never understand about women?

Their intelligence.

[crowd cheering]

Your worst fault?

Always telling the truth.

Your best virtue?

Always telling the truth.

Most treasured possession?

Chico Buarque's master album. He gave me the first copy.

What do you do right before going on stage?

I touch the floor. I do the sign of the cross, and I repeat my orishas:

[speaking Portuguese]

I do a small dance for them.

I think you are about to answer something related to Candomblé. This is the last question... Something you always carry with you?

I always have necklaces of different saints, and I also have the receipt from some of the clothes I have bought.

[laughing]

I tried to touch them, and I was told not to do it. Every person has their own necklaces, and no one else can touch them. So please don't tell her you are going to do that.

It is for luck. This is Oxalá. It is white and blue. It is the saint that has some commonalities with Jesus. He is Candomblé's older father. This is the goddess of storm and the sky. She is very strong, and she has a very interesting dance, too. I will invite you to my concert when I come back to Miami on my next tour, ok? I will show you every dance. Some of them are very sexy. That's very important for men, right? I know Latin people like it very much... Even rock lovers have to know how to move their hips properly. This is Oxum, the queen of fresh water. Only me can touch these necklaces. They are my protection everywhere I go...

[clapping]

The love of my family, the protection that I bring with me.

Daniela, tell us about the job you are doing with the foundation. I know you also work with Brazilian indigenous people, right?

I work on a program or a project called "Caravan of Music" along with ESPN and Unicef. They came up with the idea of having music and dance teachers visit very poor communities in Brazil. We want to show an appreciation for the original culture of every city. It is very important for poor children's self-esteem. It was very exciting. They were very excited when I visited them. They are stronger now because there is a very intense social fight in favor of the Brazilian indigenous people.

This is work you still do?

With the poor children in northeastern Brazil. It is the poorest region. We try to strengthen their culture...

And bringing the "Caravan of Music".

I also go there and perform. During all of my shows, I talk about Brazil and Brazilian culture.

Your latest record is called Balé Mulato, and it also has a DVD. What is the DVD about? Is it about different types of ballet? I haven't watched the DVD. I have only heard the CD.

I recorded the DVD in my country, in a square filled with 200,000 people, because the real mulato ballet is danced by my people in the streets. People dance a lot. Every kid in my city knows how to dance samba. It is amazing...

That is the real mulato ballet.

My latest concert is called Balé Mulato, as well.

There is a song you included on there... Maybe you can sing a little part of that song to say goodbye on this show. But, I wanted to ask you first... There is a song called "Aquarela do Brasil" which is one of the standards of Brazilian music. Why is it on this record?

"Aquarela do Brasil" is there because...

[singing in Portuguese]

It's one of the most famous songs in the world. It is almost like a national anthem. There were some versions with rhythms from Río, which were fast samba. For the first time, I did a northern rhythm version... a version with samba from the region I come from. I made it represent my own region. It is almost a national anthem. How could we do it with a different rhythm?

Daniela, before finishing the show can you sing something from "Aquarela", or anything you want?

Let's dance a little. I am going to play one that is almost a merengue. I am going to put my necklaces over here. I'm going this way. Everyone, stand up! Standing! Move along with me! Rockers, Argentinians...

Standing, ok.

Standing. It's not hard.

[singing in Portuguese]

Have you seen people play capoeira?

[singing in Portuguese]

Closed Caption provided by Closed Caption Latina www.closedcaptionlatina.com

Bravo. Thanks!

I'm going to bring out the whole band.

It's been a pleasure! I would need three more hours to finish this interview. Thank you all for being here on Estudio Billboard. I am Leila Cobo. See you soon.

[clapping]

THE END

Daniela Mercury in Estudio Billboard [1] [2]