Ivete Sangalo wants to go back to the future. The classic sci-fi movie is what inspired the creation of his electric trio and Carnival costume. Not only because the aesthetic that glorifies technology is one of his favorites of him, but above all because, he says, we must take advantage of the largest popular festival in the world to eliminate retrogression.
“We have never had such a thirst for the future. We are entering a year of greater hope and possibility. We have emerged from a period of regression and are entering 2023 on the right foot, where there is more hope, and we are going to go further .”
The declaration can be interpreted as a celebration of the end of the government of Jair Bolsonaro. It’s just that Ivete doesn’t usually name things. Lamenting the deaths of 500,000 Brazilians in the pandemic the year before, she said it wasn’t about “holidays” but “about humanity.”
Accused of being on the fence, the singer retorted that the Bolsonaro government didn’t represent her “even before the idea of him existed,” which boosted her social media popularity by 51%, according to the research institute Quaest.
It was then that Ivete started attacking Bolsonaro. At the end of the same year, at a show in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, the singer encouraged the ex-president’s chorus of insults by asking the audience to scream louder. The same thing happened at Rock in Rio last year, when she reacted to the lulista chorus that, in the election, we would “change everything”.
Now, Ivete releases the EP “Chega Mais”, recorded in January in Salvador in a show for guests and global fans. With five tracks ranging from samba-reggae to pagodão Bahia — including “Cria da Ivete”, which became a hit on TikTok even before its release —, the project will open the Carnival of Salvador, broadcast live on Globo, and then become a tour for Brazil.
After receiving the report to present the new work, the singer, who turned 50 last year and this year celebrates 30 years of her career, talks about aging, axé’s loss of space, her international career and of his political positions.
One month until Carnival. How are you preparing? Before I had greater concentration, I did physical activity, I was looking for an emotional balance. I just had kids, right? Then half the preparation fell through, but I never stopped. If I have time, I spend more than two hours in the gym. If I don’t have it, I do optimized half-hour workouts.
And the food? I’ve learned to remove things from it that mistreat me, like everything that has gluten. It’s not about getting fat or not. It’s just that gluten is bad. I was feeling very uncomfortable, with abdominal pains, so I don’t eat and that makes it easier to sing, because I don’t have reflux. I avoid sugar and the heavier stuff, like feijoada and all that everyone loves.
Last year, Globo celebrated its anniversary with a commercial saying it didn’t even look like you’d be turning 50, which led to allegations of ageism. How does it not look like that? I have never been a victim of ageism and I have never victimized myself for anything. Turning 50 is a victory. It is knowing that I exist, and I exist with health. Getting old is living. The one who doesn’t turn 50 is the one who’s already gone. But I don’t sacrifice anyone either. We are learning. These are discussions we didn’t have 30 years ago. They are bad acts, but without the intention to destroy.
Axé seems to have lost space and has become a seasonal song, which only plays during Carnival. How do you see it? When the music of Bahia occupied the top ten most played spots, it overlapped with another segment that was there as well. It is a ritual that repeats itself. It’s not unique to Bahian music, except that I have to fight for free time. I disagree that it is seasonal. Only, in the summer, all the music strengthened by popular movements assumes a greater proportion.
The audience for micaretas also seems to have changed. Today it is mainly made up of gay men. But that’s because you treat the gay as a person outside the public, and the gay is the public. There has been no change in audience. Gay is essentially the public. Previously this identification was not contemplated in a democratic way.
You sang a lot in English, a lot in Spanish. I sing again, my love.
Because of Anitta, there has been a lot of talk about the export of Brazilian music. Today you do more concerts in Brazil. Are you no longer willing to go international? Like Anitta, no one did. But she wanted this. I did not want to. I can’t imagine the volume of work and how many things she had to give up. In my opinion, my international career is well established, because what I want is to go anywhere in the world and have someone who listens to me. There are other proposals. Crowding Madison Square in New York is beautiful, but nothing compares to a packed Maracanã.
How did your new album, ‘Chega Mais’, come about? It was crazy. I woke up on December 20th, went to the office and said we were going to record a live EP. They asked me if I was crazy. He said if I was, they’d be mad at me.
It’s a record that seems to have more electronics. When we go to mix a song, the acoustic elements lose volume. I wanted that bass, so we added the electronic kick drum, which is more modern and an upgrade to my music.
By recording this album, in early January, you praised the selection of Margareth Menezes for the Ministry of Culture. The first time my parents let me out for the street carnival, I ran into Margareth. From that day on, she took care of me.
Can your proximity to Margareth lead to an approach to political debate? There are debates. Not necessarily publicly, but they exist. Margareth is a very competent woman as well as a singer. You have a life experience that will add up and bring elements beyond our understanding. She is very convinced of what she believes and what she believes is very good, so she will teach us a lot.
You said earlier that you preferred not to talk about politics because you didn’t understand politics. What has changed? At first I was reluctant to talk about it because I really didn’t understand. But I understood what politics you do on a daily basis. I am a woman who practices acting politics, enjoying the potential of an artist to articulate, but more in practice. But I believe in debates. They are instrumental in bringing issues to the surface that need to be discussed. Now, I prefer to reserve the place of listening and learning for myself. Margareth has so much more to say and I have to listen.
Were you afraid to take a stand against the Bolsonaro government? No. Polarization is an obstacle. If the two sides don’t talk, there’s a roadblock. We need not be afraid. This is a major obstacle that needs to be removed in order to return to civilized dialogue. When he’s very polarized, anything you say is just fuel to the fire. Throw wood, wood, wood and burn.
Was that why you weren’t more vocal about politics? Did I mention I’m not vocal. That doesn’t make me a dead person. This was my choice and I respect my choice. People need to respect each other. I do very substantial works, which mainly concern children, such as the Martagão Gesteira hospital in Bahia. Sometimes it’s so deep underground that you don’t even notice it.
In 30 years of career you have sung, acted, presented. What is missing Do? I’m founding the Ivete Sangalo Institute to channel my artistic strength into welcoming as many people as possible, especially children, because the more we do, the more we realize how much there is still to be done.
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