Joanna goes back to romantic
Singer explains why she took up on popular music, this time around with a folk flavor, keeping an eye on the Latin market
Rodrigo Faour
16/03/2001
In the 90s, Joanna let go of the worn out tacky ballad formula and engaged in bolder projects, such as making a full Lupiscínio Rodrigues album (Joanna Canta Lupiscínio, 1994) or doing classic boleros (Intimidad, 1998). After a successful review of her own career (20 Anos Ao Vivo, 1999), she is now back into the popular style that turned her into a star with the new CD, Eu Estou Bem.
"The title (translated as I’m Fine) and the idea of the album emerged from a Carly Simon song. I asked [songwriter] Isolda to make a version in Portuguese of You’re so Vain, but the song didn’t make into the album due to copyright issues. No one has ever recorded a Carly Simon song in Brazil, so we had bureaucracy involved. She didn’t say no, but we were running out of time. The song might be featured as a bonus track, when we reprint the disc", she explains.
The question is why did Joanna go back to the popular department? "I’m glad I have the chance and freedom to go through different styles of MPB. Few singers can do that. Just like I sold 300 thousand copies of the Lupiscínio albums – who was very popular in his time and today is regarded as classic -, I can do what I’m doing now, folk-pop ballads, even more popular than I was before. I know my fans will take it well. I believe that my current album is in accordance with the rest of my career."
The target is Mexico
Joanna has plans to boost her career through the Latin-American market, which she had once conquered. She is well-known in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Peru. Her second to last CD, Tô Fazendo Falta, is still on the charts in Argentina. This year, the new album is going to be simultaneously released in Brazil and Portugal, where Joanna also has faithful and numerous fans. But she intends to go further and take over a market that is quite receptive to her style: Mexico.
"If Argentina is the doorway to other countries in South America, Mexico is the doorway to North America", she says. "I’m well-known in other Latin countries, and I know that if BMG supports me, the success could be even bigger".
"The title (translated as I’m Fine) and the idea of the album emerged from a Carly Simon song. I asked [songwriter] Isolda to make a version in Portuguese of You’re so Vain, but the song didn’t make into the album due to copyright issues. No one has ever recorded a Carly Simon song in Brazil, so we had bureaucracy involved. She didn’t say no, but we were running out of time. The song might be featured as a bonus track, when we reprint the disc", she explains.
The question is why did Joanna go back to the popular department? "I’m glad I have the chance and freedom to go through different styles of MPB. Few singers can do that. Just like I sold 300 thousand copies of the Lupiscínio albums – who was very popular in his time and today is regarded as classic -, I can do what I’m doing now, folk-pop ballads, even more popular than I was before. I know my fans will take it well. I believe that my current album is in accordance with the rest of my career."
The target is Mexico
Joanna has plans to boost her career through the Latin-American market, which she had once conquered. She is well-known in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Peru. Her second to last CD, Tô Fazendo Falta, is still on the charts in Argentina. This year, the new album is going to be simultaneously released in Brazil and Portugal, where Joanna also has faithful and numerous fans. But she intends to go further and take over a market that is quite receptive to her style: Mexico.
"If Argentina is the doorway to other countries in South America, Mexico is the doorway to North America", she says. "I’m well-known in other Latin countries, and I know that if BMG supports me, the success could be even bigger".