The word amanaiara means “rain” in the Tupi language, which was widely spoken in Northeast Brazil long before the arrival of the Portuguese Conquistadors. Rain is a commodity in this dry arid region from which Anastácia Azevedo hails. And, as the saying goes, when it rains in Fortaleza, it pours. It’s what they call “chuva de matar spop”: a rain that kills frogs. The word and idea of amanaiara are rooted deep in Anastácia’s culture and is an idea she brought along with her to Berlin.
"I recently suffered a crisis realising that I was losing some of my Brazilian roots here in Berlin," Azevedo says. "But then I found that rather than losing I was winning something new in this town."
Anastácia left her home in Northeast Brazil for Germany in order to pursue her dream of music. The distance between Anastacia and her homeland widened but her passion for Brazilian culture and traditions grew stronger. Anastacia made a niche for herself in Brazil, founding the Brazilian cultural center “Quilimbo” with her partner in life and music, Zé Eugêio. Here they would stand on stage regularly by themselves performing the music of their homeland. Anastácia’s new CD, Amanaiara (Piranha) pays homage to Brazil by combining traditional rhythms such as Coco, Xaxado, Forró, Bainã, Samba and Xote with a contemporary touch of electronic beats.
Amanaiara showcases Anastácia’s abilities as a singer and songwriter. She weaves the vibrant rhythms of her homeland in Nordeste Brazil into her songs of the sweetness and sadness of the world, reflecting in her words the force majeure of nature, love and children. Together with Zé Eugênio she celebrates the joy and heartache of the urban exile with the life-affirming melancholy power of Saudade for home.