The thrill of Ivete Sangalo’s night at the Madison

“When Ivete Sangalo stepped on the stage, she shook the arena. The
American employees at the famous arena were astonished by such uncommon
euphoria; it was the Brazilian euphoria translated into dance and music. 15
thousand people jumping and singing “axé” music. Nick Wickham’s sensible
direction shows that night’s emotion on the DVD: Images and music, an
electrifying concert that turns your home TV into a small version of the
Madison Square Garden, the largest arena in the world.

The work shows the experience Ivete has gained before starting her
international career. The quality standards at the Madison are the highest:
Lights, sound, the setting and the outfits aim the perfection of historical
shows like Beyoncé’s, Madonna’s and Elton John’s. The spectacle production
was fantastic. Ivete’s outfits came from London – clothes and accessories of
vibrating colors.
The day before the concert the singer rehearsed with her special guests at a
studio in Manhattan. She took Juanes, Seu Jorge, Nelly Furtado and Diego
Torres to the Madison. The CD and DVD “Multishow Ao Vivo – Ivete Sangalo
no Madison Square Garden” show Ivete beautiful and comfortable, also
singing in English and Spanish. Not to mention the surprise to the fans – the
singer wrapped as a present in red paper.

After recording a DVD in her studio in Bahia, those who followed her in the
backstage and watched the show at the Madison could see that now, in New
York, Ivete Sangalo felt at home.”

By Giuliana Morrone

MULTISHOW AO VIVO – IVETE SANGALO AT THE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

Every popular idol has their own way to drive their careers. A lot of them deal
with the responsibility they have with the great public and the success
demands in a conservative way; they prefer to continue doing the same things
without risking much. There is nothing wrong about it... However, there are
those, rare ones, who are not afraid to act differently. By diving into this
concert’s project, DVD and CD, Ivete Sangalo shows she is not lively only on
the stage.

If she has an automatic pilot, it must have been unemployed for years! That is,
if there was ever a job for such. After releasing, in 2009, an intimate DVD (and
CD), “Multishow Registro Ivete Sangalo - Pode Entrar”, recorded at her home
studio, she made a radical movement. The new super production by Caco de
Telha Entretenimento takes the singer to one of the most traditional stages in
the world, the Madison Square Garden in New York, for a historical concert
attended by 15 thousand people. Designed and directed by Ivete herself and
the musical producer Alexandre Lins, the performance was recorded on
September 4th by the English director Nick Wickham, responsible for, among
others, Beyoncé, Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters’ DVDs.
Multishow, a partner in this project, will, exclusively, broadcast in full the
special “Multishow ao Vivo – Ivete Sangalo no Madison Square Garden” on TV on
December 5th, at 9:30PM. The performance will be aired simultaneously on the
high definition channel Multishow HD.

It was absolutely not a strategic decision, but a dream come true. Dreams may
be priceless, but in the case of “Multishow Ao Vivo – Ivete Sangalo no
Madison Square Garden”, it cost over dive million dollars and demanded the
star a huge dedication. She was willing to do it different, to show on the stage
things she had never done in her career, a plot full of surprises from beginning
to end.

A lot has been said about the production, scenery innovations, image shows and
stage projections, and about the pop-star diva extravaganza in the outfits. But
Ivete embraced performance challenges as well. She sings in three languages,
welcomes and acts with the Canadian Nelly Furtado, the Argentinean Diego
Torres and the Colombian Juanes; she dances salsa brilliantly and engages in
elaborated choreographies with 10 dancers. At the gran finale, she leaves the
stage being lifted by balloons, inspired by the cartoon Up, by Pixar, with no
damage to her natural style, speed and charm. And, above all, being all the
time the same Ivete Sangalo Brazil and her fans have learned to love in the
beginning of the 90’s. Plugged in 220v, happy, sexy, emotional and thrilling,
with full command of the audience, a communication phenomenon and singing
as wonderfully as ever, Ivete made the Madison Square Garden look small. And
that was not only because the scenery advanced towards the audience, getting
close to the artist fans...

For the first time, Ivete risks a piano and voice performance, interpreting a
classic of the 70’s rhythm & blues ballads: “Easy”, by Lionel Richie, recorded
by the group he was a member at that time, The Commodores. Her
performance on the piano proves that, besides counting on a good ear and
sense of rhythm, she has done her homework very well. However, “Human
Nature”, Michael Jackson’s megahit (written by Steve Porcaro and John Bettis),
was added with no muss, no fuss to the contagious samba-reggae beat– dare
that adds friendliness to what was originally based on synthesizers.

And that, to a certain extent, bring personality to the work. “Multishow Ao

Vivo – Ivete Sangalo no Madison Square Garden” makes no pressure to look
like an international product, neither tries to position the singer as a Latin
artist. Ivete brings Brazil within herself; she takes the national identity to her
music, wherever she performs. This national identity, is her case, is essentially
from Bahia, as all the mixture of Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Cuban rhythms and pop
influences that affect the modern production in Bahia.

The two American choices in the set list show something that is clear in Ivete’s
musical preference and in her band’s - Banda do Bem - work, a group with
which she identifies as much as Banda Vitória-Régia and Tim Maia did. Most of
the musicians have been in the band for over ten years. And soul music, be
that the original American one or the Brazilian adaptations, is common in the
arrangements – most of them created by the Pernambucano keyboard player
Radamés Venâncio – very groovy. Few Brazilian singers sing this style so easily –
it is natural to her, organic, as musicians say.

The new song “Pensando em Nós Dois”, by the baiano composer Samir, is a
beautiful piece that portraits this trend, in the samba-soul tradition of Cassiano
and other masters, performed in a duet with Seu Jorge. He was impeccable in
his suit; she… hair down and the sexiest outfit in the show. Grade 10
chemistry, intimacy and complicity shown by the “God bless you” Ivete
whispers to the singer’s ear when they hugged good bye.

The atmosphere heats up with another unexpected duet, “Darte”, when Ivete
gives an interpretation show and dances towards the Colombian superstar
Juanes, who has sold over twelve million records in Latin America and Europe.
With Nelly Furtado, Ivete shares “Where It Begins”, a partnership between
them, where she shows to be very comfortable with the anglophone pop. There
is also a great empathy with the Argentinean singer Diego Torres, “muy buena
onda” a Spanish version for the great ballad “Agora Eu Já Sei” (“Ahora Ya Sé”).

The new songs in the set list go beyond that: There is also the lively funk
“Aceleraê (Noite do Bem)”, with the percussion trio (Cara de Cobra, Emerson
Taquari and Fabinho O’Brian) bringing the house down; the fun “Desejo De
Amar”, perfect to drag the people to the electric trucks, “Qui Belê”, another
beat to enjoy, which made the people party at the Madison Square Garden...
And maybe, the greatest of all new songs, “Pra Falar de Você”, a delicious
Cuban guajira with an accent from Bahia due to the typical percussion
instruments like “surdos”, “timbales”, “bacurinhas” and “repique”. Not a Latin
style to export: As it is known, Bahia, the Caribbean and Africa have juggled
music for centuries and the modern music from Bahia has incorporated in the
Latin rhythms DNA.

In the metal arrangements, despite the worry about the party propulsion, there
is space for some jazzy softness. Letieres Leite (on the saxophone and
transverse flute), the man behind the Orkestra Rumpilezz – one of the most
brilliant works in the Brazilian instrumental music is – along with Gilberto Jr.
(trumpet and flugel horn) and Ferreirinha (trombone) make the finest piece.
When it is necessary to have a short break to change clothes or the stage
structure, these nice people – that count on Gigi on the bass, Jaguar on the
electric guitar and Marcio Brasil on the drums – keep the audience enthusiastic.

The team of musicians and the paraphernalia never cloud the star. Everything
is there to serve one of the greatest Brazilian singers: Singing absolutely to the
tune, showing an enviable body and very well prepared to face a heavy aerobic
choreography routine without sighing or breathing any harder. A queen on the
stage, Ivete revisits some of her previous band delicious hits (a medley with
“Eva” / “Alô Paixão”/ “Beleza Rara”) and highlights the latest beauties like
“Balakbak”, which has a delightful melody, and inebriates the public, the co-
star of the night to be remembered on CD and DVD.

Since the first frames, Patrick Woodrofe's project, world show business light
top designer, and the images treasure a dazzling coloring, a visual explosion.
But nothing would have impacted as much if there were not Ivete Sangalo’s
faces, expressions (a certain Carmen Miranda touch sometimes), jokes,
improvisations away from the microphone (it is worth doing some lip
reading....) and all communication with the public. Nothing would be so strong
if only based on professionalism.

And when it was time to sing “Me Abraça e Me Beija”, a hit from when she was
still in Banda Eva, the star cannot help crying. The whole mass embraces her in
a beautiful love choir and then, oh boy, there is no heart that will not shake
like a “xequerê”, those “cabaça” fruit rattles which help make the magical
“baiana” music. This magic respects no frontier, can conquer the world and
make dreams come true through its rhythm strong beat.

By Pedro Só
December 2010

Information for the Press:

Universal Music Brasil Press Relations

Kélita Myra – (21) 2108-7657 / kelita.myra@umusic.com

Ivete Sangalo Press Relations:

Marcela Oliva - Caco de Telha – (71) 9624-3717 / 55*105297*22
marcela@cacodetelha.com.br

Multishow Press Relations / In Press Porter Novelli:

Ana Paula Pinto – 21 3723-8090 - ana.pinto@inpresspni.com.br