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Daniela Mercury

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Daniela Mercury is a prominent Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, and producer.

Daniela Mercury
Daniela Mercury

She is widely recognized for her massive influence on Brazilian popular music. Her career is defined by her ability to blend various cultural rhythms. She has sold over 11 million records across the entire world. Mercury has also achieved significant success on the music charts. She earned 24 Top 10 singles within Brazil. Among those hits, 14 of them reached the number one position.

Mercury's musical journey began with a strong foundation in dance. She started taking lessons at the age of eight. Her training included classical ballet, jazz, and various African dances. This movement background later influenced her rhythmic musical style. At age 13, she decided to become a singer. She was heavily influenced by the artist Elis Regina. Her early repertoire focused on bossa nova and the works of artists like Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Chico Buarque.

Daniela Mercury
Daniela Mercury

Her professional rise occurred through several distinct musical phases. From 1986 to 1988, she served as the lead singer for the band Cheiro de Amor. By 1988, she worked as a backup singer for Gilberto Gil. In 1989, she recorded her first two albums with the pop band Companhia Clic. These recordings produced minor hits like "Pega que Oh!" and "Ilha das Bananas." However, her true solo breakthrough arrived in the early 1990s. Her 1991 self-titled debut album featured the hit "Swing da Cor." This song featured the group Olodum and reached number one in Brazil.

The early 1990s marked her rise to mainstream fame. In 1992, she released the album *O Canto da Cidade*. This specific album is credited with bringing Axé music to a national audience. Axé is a genre that incorporates samba-reggae rhythms. The album produced four number-one hits, including "O Canto da Cidade" and "Batuque." Because of this immense popularity, she earned nicknames like "the hurricane of Bahia" and "Queen of the Axé."

Daniela Mercury
Daniela Mercury

Her success during this era was a rare peak in the Brazilian music industry.

Throughout the 1990s, Mercury continued to release highly rated works. Her 1996 album, *Feijão com Arroz*, received four and a half stars from Allmusic. This remains her second best-selling album after *O Canto da Cidade*. It produced several number-one hits, such as "À Primeira Vista" and "Rapunzel." In the early 2000s, she began experimenting with new sounds. She fused her music with electronic elements in albums like *Sol da Liberdade* and *Carnaval Eletrônico*. In 2004, she celebrated her TrioTechno, which was the first electronic *trio elétrico* in Bahian Carnival.

Daniela Mercury
Daniela Mercury

In 2009, Mercury released the album *Canibália* to showcase cultural diversity. This album was released with five different covers and different track lists. It embraced the ethnic and African-Brazilian culture of Brazil. *The New York Times* noted that she transformed the past through contemporary pop. The album included singles like "Preta," featuring Seu Jorge, and "Oyá Por Nós," featuring Margareth Menezes.

Daniela Mercury
Daniela Mercury

This era of her career focused on reinventing popular culture through diverse musical lenses.

Mercury's career is distinguished by numerous prestigious international awards. She is a winner of a Latin Grammy for her album *Balé Mulato – Ao Vivo*. She has also received six Brazilian Music Awards and three Multishow Brazilian Music Awards. Her talent has led her to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. She also sang in Oslo, Norway, during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony alongside Paul McCartney.

Daniela Mercury
Daniela Mercury

In 2011, the American channel CBS called her the "Carmen Miranda of the new times."

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File:Daniela Mercury.jpg
Daniela Mercury.jpg
File:Brazilian singer, Daniela Mercury.jpg
Brazilian singer, Daniela Mercury.jpg
File:Daniela Mercury beija a mulher, Malu Verçosa.jpg
Daniela Mercury beija a mulher, Malu Verçosa.jpg
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