São Paulo – The Brazilian singer Sheyla Costa will play a show in Beirut, Lebanon, on December 13. Sheyla, who was born in the state of Pernambuco but spent a large portion of her career in France, was invited by the Brazilian embassy in Beirut to play a concert at the Democratic Republic of Music (DRM), a famous restaurant in the Lebanese capital which has a concert lounge and features international and local acts.
Syla, as Sheyla dubbed herself in her last album, sings Brazilian popular music. “I’m hoping to put people at ease with a magical music that brings joy to their hearts. That’s my desire whenever I go onstage and, being aware of the local tensions, I hope I’ll have a positive effect,” says the singer of the show in Lebanon. The new album is called “Do Lado Azul.”
Syla is also a singer, songwriter and musician, and has performed in another Arab country, Morocco, in the past. She accompanied a group of Brazilian musicians to the Tanja Latina à Tanger Festival, last year, as a percussionist. “It was a great experience; I stayed there one week to see a bit of the city, the markets, the cafés and the people. They are really welcoming,” she said of her experience in Morocco.
The singer says she would like to play in all of the Arab countries to promote her new record. In Lebanon, she will sing in Portuguese and French. Syla says she practiced her Arabic to sing a song. “But it’s too tough,” she says. To make up for it, she intends to sing samba to an Arab rhythm. “It will be nice, I hope they like it,” she told ANBA.
Sheyla Costa has four recorded albums. She started out by learning acoustic guitar, approximately 20 years ago, and then discovered her songwriting talent. Right at the beginning of her career, with one album recorded for Sony, the Olinda, Pernambuco native moved to France to study musicology at the Pierre Mendés France University. There she recorded a second album and travelled across the country with her group to promote it.
In 2008, she recorded a jazz funk record accompanied by Julie Saury, Therèse Henry, Valerie Benzaquine and Brazil’s Rodrigo Viana. In 2009 she recorded a second album with the same group. Two years ago she recorded a song with pianist Jean-Pierre Mas, and last year she wrote three songs for the album Latinalma de Mas. She also worked with the singer/songwriter Ena Luis on the album “Queen of Freedom.”
Service:
Sheyla Costa in Beirut
DRM, Hamra Venue
December 13, 2012
US$ 15
Information: +961 1 752202
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
