Daniela Mercury Albums (11)
'Eletrodoméstico'
Release Date 4/22/2003
Tracks 17
Label BMG International
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'Sou de Qualquer Lugar'
Release Date 11/20/2001
Tracks 14
Label RCA Records
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What The Critics Say
Daniela Mercury obviously learned a lot from her last Emilio Estefan-produced album in that she moved from being a Brazilian star to the real international stage, injecting plenty of studio gloss into the album. Well, the gloss remains, thick and heavy, even if her trademark, percussive-heavy axé sound is far less in evidence on this disc. She lays her cards on the table from the outset, as "De Qualquer Lugar" brings in plenty of beats and programming, and more than a touch of electronica. This is a modern album, one aimed at a wide audience. Having been the Queen of Axé for so long, Mercury is straining for the big time. And on the basis of the slower "Estrellas," a duet with Toni Garrido, or her own composition "Ata-Me," she deserves wider recognition. But her material also comes from some of Brazil's top composers, people like Carlinhos Brown, Gilberto Gil, and Chico Science, making for a cross-section of MPB (Brazilian popular music) writers. Brown's work probably fits her best, with its naturally percussive feel -- she's a singer who seems to feel the rhythm more than most, and use it as a springboard to a higher energy level. While it's not her best album -- at times the gloss is laid on a little too thickly, obscuring the soul in Mercury's wonderful, pliable voice -- it still has its moments. And when she hits it right, there's no one in Brazil, or the Latin world, to beat her. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
'Sol da Liberdade'
Release Date 4/18/2000
Tracks 15
Label BMG International
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What The Critics Say
Call this a bid for the big time by the queen of axé music, and one of Brazil's biggest stars. By enlisting the talents of one of Latin music's biggest producers, Emilio Estefan, Jr., it's nothing less than an attempt to crack the lucrative American market. The question is, can she do it -- adding the gloss and sheen -- without losing her roots? And from the first moments of the first track, the answer is apparently yes. The snares and percussion are crisper than on any of her earlier releases, firing the cuts along with a real directness, while the horn arrangements have a real zip about them that frames her powerful, emotive voice, as on Caetano Veloso's celebratory Bahian "Axé Axé." The ballads don't go over the top, unlike so many Latin artists, and even the hip-hop flavor of some songs is never overstated, all due to Mercury's fastidious quality control on the material (as well as co-producing, she's responsible for many of the arrangements, as well as co-writing some songs), as well as the work of the other producers -- Andres Levin, Will Mowat, and Juan Vincente Zambrano. The result firmly keeps its Salvador grounding, but takes on an international flavor in its colorations, more than in the songs themselves, where the complex rhythms could be from nowhere but Brazil. In fact, the only piece that doesn't work, surprisingly, is a club mix of "Ilê Pérola Negra," tacked on at the end of the CD, and done in half-hearted '80s fashion, accomplishing nothing except filling out time. An alternative version of the record was released, with six songs in Spanish instead of Mercury's native Portuguese, but still bearing the glamour shots of Ms. Mercury throughout the booklet. While it might not be her very best album, the sonic clarity does her justice, and brings out the richness of her singing -- enough for anyone to understand why she's acquired a reputation as one of the major stars of MPB, Brazilian popular music. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Daniela Mercury is so kinetic that she could make the Energizer Bunny seem lazy. What better way to channel that energy than with a live album, one so lively listeners find themselves gasping for breath halfway through and wondering if she'll make it to the end. Her Salvador axé style mixes up reggae and African music with local Bahian beats and with some frenetic percussion as a lively backdrop to her songs. Mercury's quite obviously in her element on-stage, her sensuous voice caressing the songs even as the beat never stops, laying out her stall in the opening title track, where the catchy chorus simply explodes before a hyper guitar solo fires into the stratosphere. This is essentially a refinement of the trios elétricos music Mercury sang at the beginning of her career, meant for entertaining a reveling crowd at Salvador's Carnaval, but with a broader musical canvas. The material is largely drawn from her earlier studio albums, but with all gloss removed in favor of full-tilt renditions that bring everything into another realm. For all that, there's still plenty of subtlety, especially from the horn section, whose contributions push things along sweetly. The biggest surprise, given the massed sound of the drums, is that the band only contains one drummer and three percussionists. This is the real Mercury concert experience, with an adoring audience singing along, and an indication as to why Mercury is such a huge star in her native Brazil. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
'Feijão com Arroz'
Release Date 1/14/1997
Tracks 17
Label Sony International
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What The Critics Say
By the time this appeared, Mercury was already the undoubted "Queen of Axé," the music of her native Salvador in Brazil, but this, possibly her finest studio outing, put the title beyond doubt. Starting off by mixing her trademark sound with a mid-tempo reggae beat on "Nobre Vagabundo," she kicks into high gear for the out-and-out salsa of "Rapunzel," just to show the range of her style. From there it's classy Brazilian popular music (MPB) all the way, with one of the highlights being the slower, ballad-like "A Primiera Vista," her biggest Brazilian hit, and the theme music from a popular soap opera. Throughout, Mercury keeps a light, ineffably Brazilian touch on the proceedings, the musicians nimble-fingered -- especially a superb horn section, whose charts really do add to the punch and melody -- without ever going over the top. Even the funky "Musa Calabar," with its choppy rhythm guitar workout, never descends to banality. Mercury wraps her voice sensually around every word on the album, teasing and tasting it before torridly letting it out, a far cry from the cool sexiness of Astrud Gilberto. Ultimately, Mercury doesn't put a foot wrong on this disc, singing with total control, even on the rather unusual closer -- a cover of the '60s Japanese hit "Sukiyaki." From start to finish, a tour de force. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
'Musica de Rua'
Release Date 10/4/1994
Tracks 13
Label Sony Music Distribution
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