May 27: Brazilian vocalist, Ivete Sangalois is 39 years-old today.

Ivete Maria Dias de Sangalo was born and raised in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil. She is Brazilian Axé and MPB singer, songwriter, and occasional actress and television show host. She is one of the most popular and best-selling Brazilian female singers and has received 14 nominations for Latin Grammy Awards during her career.

(NOTE: Axé combines different Afro-Caribbean genres, such as Marcha, Reggae, and Calypso. It also includes influences of Afro-Brazilian music such as Frevo, Forró and Carixada. The word "axé" comes from a Yoruba religious greeting used in the Candomblé and Umbanda religions that means "soul," "light," "spirit" or "good vibration.")

Sangalois has released six albums released with the group "Banda Eva," and seven solo albums selling 12 million albums sold worldwide. Sangalo is most often recognized by her powerful voice, charisma and live performances.

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As a teenager, Ivete sang and play violin at festivals and at school. In August 1992w she won the Dorival Caymmi trophy, the Grammy of Bahia music. Afterwards, she signed with Sony Music.

Banda Eva

In 1993, Sony decided to reform the Axé group Banda Eva and she was chosen as the lead singer. Her live album with the band, Banda Eva Ao Vivo, was their best-selling album, selling over a million copies.

In 1997 she started a solo career and in 1999 released her first self-titled album. With lots of upbeat Bahian rhythms and axé, the album received gold and platinum certification. The following year she released another album, Beat Beleza, which also achieved platinum status.

In 2000 she released the album Festa (Party), whose title track was another major success. The album went platinum and "Festa" ended up being the most popular song of 2001 in Brazil. Its music video featured over 20 cameo appearances by Brazilian celebrities.

In 2002, she released the album Se Eu Não te Amasse Tanto Assim (If I Didn't Love You So Much), titled after her big hit that reached number 1 on the singles chart. The album, which features a duet with American singer Brian McKnight, didn't sell as much as her previous albums, but was still a hit.

Following Se Eu Não te Amasse Tanto Assim, she released Clube Carnavalesco Innocentes Em Progresso in 2003. It was the lowest-selling solo album of her career but it still managed to receive gold certification.

In 2004, she released the live album, MTV Ao Vivo Ivete Sangalo (MTV Live: Ivete Sangalo) which included her biggest hits, many of them never released on an album before, and some Banda Eva hits. The album earned huge sales, most of them because of the single "Sorte Grande," which was renamed "Poeira" and became a big hit in parties, on the radio and as a soccer anthem.

The song received heavy airplay in Brazil. The album received diamond certification and was the second best-selling album of 2004. The DVD, which included the concert held at the Fonte Nova stadium, was certified 3-times
Diamond, selling over 600,000 copies. It is the best-selling musical DVD in Brazil of all time.

Her 2005 album, As Supernovas, received triple platinum certification shortly after its release. The album was less upbeat than the others and included some songs with a 1970s touch, with the influence of Brazilian singer Ed Motta. She also included the hit "Soy Loco por ti America," a Gilberto Gil song. Sangalo's cover would become the theme song of Rede Globo's soap opera América.

Her recording, "Quando a Chuva Passar" was nominated at the Latin Grammy Awards, an uncommon feature for a non-Spanish speaking singer. As Supernovas also received diamond certification which consolidated her as the biggest female solo singer in Brazil.

Due to her popular appearances on TV, Rede Globo, the biggest Brazilian TV station, released her own TV show, Estação Globo. It airs about six episodes every year.

On December 16, 2006, she performed in the biggest stadium in South America, Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. The concert was released as a DVD in May 2007.


In June 2009, the singer released her tenth studio album, Pode Entrar, recorded in a studio set up at her home, in Salvador. The project featured Sangalo in a personal way, entertaining friends at her house, artists for duets and musical partnerships. It was also released as DVD and includes guest stars such as Maria Bethânia, Carlinhos Brown, Lulu Santos and Marcelo Camelo.

The album includes the huge summer hits "Cadê Dalila," chosen as the "Song of the Salvador carnival" in 2009, and "Na Base do Beijo," which had heavy airplay in the beginning of 2010. Both of them peaked #1 in the Brazilian charts.

There's also "Agora Eu Já Sei," which reached #2 in the winter of 2009. The album received three nominations for the 2009 Latin Grammy Awards.

Among other international appearances, on September 4, 2010 Ivete performed at Madison Square Garden, New York City, where she recorded her third live DVD. The New York Times and New York Post newspapers raved about the show. In late 2010, it was reported that Ivete would go on tour around Brazil with Shakira in 2011.


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