On tour in Brazil and abroad with the album ‘D’; Djavan talks about challenges on the road
djavan just got back from a series of shows in the United States. The 74-year-old musician, 55 years old, is back on the road with the international tour of his 25th album, D. Last weekend, she landed in São Paulo, where she presented novelties, such as “Illuminated”among classics like “Fleur de Lis” It is “Samurai” at Unimed Space.
Focusing on his long career, the musician from Alagoas spoke with the Rolling Stone Brazil about some of his most classic compositions, present on the new tour, as well as about his writing process, which is renewed in D,album from 2022 in which he puts optimism as a response to obscurantism and the lack of hope.
While there are artists who strive to create complex lyrics and original melodies, for Djavan, writing is natural. The musician says that he has many lyrics written but not yet finished.
“I don’t even finish a song right away, only when I really need to write new songs is when I sit down and listen to some stuff I’ve already done. If I like it I take that beginning and make a definitive song. It’s something I do all the time, I take the tape recorder and record something.”
It was from a process like this that one of his most popular songs, “Ocean”. Originally released on the album Djavan, from 1989, it appeared when the musician was traveling and his daughter called to talk about a found letter. He then decides to resume what he had started, thus creating one of the greatest hits of his career.
Of the process, it is perhaps surprising the distance of autobiographical themes in his tracks – even the most romantic compositions, which made him known, have their origin in an abstract creativity, which distances him, for example, from the practical experience of his marriage to Rafaela Brunini, with whom he has been together for 25 years:
“I don’t need to be in love to compose. Coincidentally, I live in a state of euphoria with my relationship, we [o casal] has a growth relationship. but the songwriting is solely due to the fact that you want to do it.”
Asked if the character of the track “Mary of Mercedes” 1975 actually existed, he explains:
“Maria das Mercedes didn’t exist. This was a little story I created in my head, but we know that Maria das Mercedes exists in the minds and hearts of many people, that’s why we can invent. people reproduce stories that we see out there.”
“What works for me is the desire to compose. However, if you have love in your heart, things flow better. I invent loves and I invent situations”, he says. “If it weren’t for imagination, art wouldn’t exist. That’s the primordial element.”
New challenges, old solutions
While touring Rio de Janeiro and later Europe, djavan recognizes the challenges of getting back on the road – even as it recognizes them as a natural evolution process.
“The challenges of a career naturally grow from year to year and you need to be well to correspond to this growth and evolution, right? Because doing a world tour is not a simple thing, you need to be prepared.”
Despite having reported a flu while touring the United States, in addition to the rare diagnosis of a disorder called essential tremor, Djavan exudes poetry, wisdom and disposition, when he says that the reward for overcoming obstacles and effort is always on stage.
“The temperature from country to country changes everything. After this American tour, I got the flu because it was very cold and it was a little difficult, but we managed to carry on. So it’s all very tiring, what eases these difficulties is the stage . Arriving there and doing your duty is refreshing.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
