Daniela Mercury

Daniela Mercury burst onto the music scene in 1991 with the explosive hit "Swing da Cor," backed by Salvador's most famous drumming ensemble, Olodum. Since then, she has been dubbed the "Queen of Axe" and the "Queen of Samba-Reggae", blending infectious pop melodies with Afro-Bahian drumming. In a city with nearly 100 groups performing every year at Carnival, year after year Daniela Mercury draws some of the largest audiences around her "trio electrico" (the huge tractor trailer trucks upon which Carnival performers sing.) She has bucked the trend in recent Bahian Carnivals that began in 1996 with E O Tchan that wooed huge audiences with songs describing taunting new ways to grind your butt. Through Mercury's impeccable arrangements and collaborations with Brazil's top composers (including Chico Cesar and Carlinhos Brown), she has rekindled vitality in Bahia's music scene.

Mercury, always one of the most popular performers at Salvador de Bahia, electrified audiences with the launch of the album, Feijão com Arroz at the 1997 Carnival. It became the soundtrack to the Carnival, with dozens of bands consequently covering her songs. The title translates literally as "beans and rice" and refers to the coexistence of black and white races. Her latest release, "Sol da Liberdade" has also become a mega-hit in Brazil, as "Groove da Baiana" proved to be one of the most popular songs during the 2001 Carnival. —Courtesy Calabash Music