Marisa Monte in Noches del Botánico: the apotheosis of the goddesses

At the Noches del Botánico festival they always boast, and do well, of a relentless, rigorous punctuality, but Marisa Monte arrived and threw their good habits overboard. We do not say it as a reproach, but because of verifying the power. The carioca is presumably fatal, although we do not venture to assure it with all certainty. You only had to see her costume, that kind of black tunic with diamonds and a diadem, like a Nefertiti in dealings with the Christ of Corcovado, to understand that we will rarely find ourselves so close to a deity again.

We had to wait for the priestess until almost 10:50 p.m., we said, but she burst in so resolute and determined, so well dressed with a full band and horn section (incandescent in A language of two animals), that checking the clock became from that moment on a vulgarity. Although social conventions invited us to remain attentive at midnight, because Marisa de Azevedo Monte began the concert at the age of 54 and finished it having already turned 55. Or so the biographies insist: the ear would not attribute many to that brilliant voice. more than 30.

There are gods who knew twilight and goddesses who travel, happy and exuberant, through periods of apotheosis. Write down the name of our protagonist as a pluperfect example. And since the divine beings do not hide her indifference to calendars, Marisa has had us ten years of drought, without a sad visit to a recording studio. We poor mortals have only been able to swallow saliva and poorly hide our impatience and restlessness.

The still very recent portholes —which is listened to with devotion, even if it is not Marian— served as the backbone during the first bars, from the ardent vermelha beach to the semi-Moorish sensuality of sardinian wind, that breath of vigorous poetics that incorporates Jorge Drexler into the LP. But the background of the musical wardrobe gives to gloat with the selection. It favors, for example, the rescue of Ainda Lembro, a first-time title that had not appeared on stage for a century. Or induces to brighten anyone’s life with real mariaone of those occasions in which Carlinhos Brown, very capable of enormous achievements but also of the occasional chestnut, has a good day.

Marisa’s velvety elegance does not cling to commonplaces. It was necessary to be at the edge of the time of appearance so that I need to find myself provide a first and timid approximation to the bossa. (The samba would not appear until an hour and a half, with elegant sunrise). And just when the danger of repeated calm appeared, that outburst of heat would arrive that bears the paradoxical title of Calm and tropicalism varnished with flames of soul that beats in I know.

At the moment in which Cronos decreed the irruption of Friday, the poor mortals conspired to chant the usual Happy Birthday. But Portuguese is such a damn beautiful language that the people speak on these occasions Parabens for you and they even want to celebrate their birthday. Magical coincidences of the direct: the diva premiered age with old childhooda preciousness from the times of the band Tribalistas who yearned to sing, and sang, almost 3,000 throats fascinated by the vision of that woman —or almighty lady— towering, beautiful as only supernatural beings can be, graced with that magnetism that scientists discovered in the heavenly bodies.

Before all that, the Argentinian Gustavo Santaolalla had warmed up engines even in broad daylight, with that half entrance that distinguishes the most curious or knowledgeable, as well as the very cautious. “I will review my life, movies and video games, a little of everything,” summed up the interested party to explain the varied nature of the menu, although South American folklore is always present in its kitchens, the imprint of progressive pop —so sophisticated and unpredictable—and a certain mysticism or, at the very least, a spirit of transcendence. They contemplate him 71 years, but, do not believe, spirituality already came from series.

Santaolalla is an eminence with a dizzying resume, especially when it comes to soundtracks (there are a couple of Oscars on his shelf, mind you), although the small suites instrumental that he outlined are, in a great summer esplanade like this one, a daring dish that is difficult to digest. He garnered much more attention, in fact, when he was acting as a surprising, unexpected vocalist. One of those that always seem to be breaking down, but then they end up screaming or embracing some sort of new wave advanced (Anything goes). Or going into the country-folk bucolic of country morningclassic from his early years at the head of the Arco Iris group and cotton test to differentiate between Iberians and Latinos in the meadow: he is extremely popular in his country, almost a cliché to go camping, but completely unknown on this other side of the ocean.

It is exciting to learn what distance steals from us so many times. But Santaolalla is mortal and Monte, we don’t know. For now, it is not even normal to end a two-hour concert, very close to one o’clock at night and with a chilly one that scared away the cold, sending its eight musicians to the dressing rooms to sing Well, what do you want? in rigorous a cappella. Whether it is a celestial body or just a celestial human being, Marisa Monte cannot be questioned about the brilliance of the great stars.