Daniela Mercury

On Carnaval Eletronico, Brazilian Daniela Mercury commissioned electronic DJs to retrofit classic compositions such as Gilberto Gil's "Amor de Carnaval" with snappy, electro beams. The songs manage to balance sensuous rhythms with complex modern arrangements. "I have always been eclectic," Mercury says. "Axé is still a genre in development, and I can always add new influences without straying too far from it. I am for inclusion and creativity, and taking a risk into new musical fusion is a challenge for myself and, I believe, for the audience." During her Eletrodomestico tour in 2003, Mercury managed to get her normally staid audience on its feet. For this tour an eleven-piece band and a group of dancers will back her up. "It will be an energetic, danceable, and contemporary show," she says.