Brazilian singer, Vanessa da Mata will interpret “Clara Nunes” on stage show in the vision of Jorge Farjalla..

It was an old desire, kept under lock and key, to honor the iconic Brazilian singer Clara Nunes on stage. After nearly two years – and on top of that with a pandemic in the middle – Brazilian singer, Vanessa da Mata will star, finally, at the end of the year, in a stage show “Clara Nunes – A Tal Guerreira,” “To That Warrior,” in the vision of director Jorge Farjalla, in online format. “I idealized all this many years ago. I had a meeting in 2019 with director and friend Jorge Farjalla and producer Marco Griesi. I have always been in love with the Brasis that Clara sings! She has always captured me in a special way,” says excited Vanessa.

The trajectory of the singular singer – who died at the age of 40, in 1983 – after complications caused by surgery – will not be the guiding principle of the musical. “The project will not talk about the orphaned Clara, who saw her brother imprisoned after defending the honor in tragedy! Our musical will be about the work and its sacredness. Clara is one of the icons that sustain the pride of being born here. We need get these rhythms, manner, purity, fire, invincibility and her musical plurality to the new generations”, she explains, about the dances, religiosity and Afro-Brazilian culture that Clara Nunes has always celebrated in her songs, on stage and in her costumes.

“Clara had the beautiful job of bringing original music from various parts of Brazil and turning it into national music, such as caboclinho, lundu, samba de roda, sambas in general, maracatus and so many others that are disappearing with their conductors dying, and there is no renewal with young people,” he completes.

For the first time, the actress side of Vanessa will appear in the foreground and, according to director Jorge Farjalla, it will be more than special. “Legitimate, true. Normally, Vanessa interprets her songs in a very particular way, I want this for her as an actress, this singularity of looking at the new, of playing with this Clara Nunes, taking the character’s body in the right measure,” he bets . “The musical is not a documentary about Clara Nunes’ life, but a tribute, a celebration to this plural artist who marked an era. I see the musical as if this light could free us from the darkness in which we live these days. Let’s talk about Clara for a generation that maybe doesn’t even know what she means for MPB ( Brazilian Popular Music) and for the culture of our Brazil,” says Farjalla.

By Niyi Fote/Thenews2