The tour celebrating the Pernambuco-born singer’s 80th birthday came to the English capital on Saturday, 7 November
Some shows are much more than just a show. On Saturday, 7 November, Alceu Valença took to the stage at the Royal Festival Hall, at London’s Southbank Centre, with his 80 Girassóis tour, celebrating the 80th birthday he marked in July. And, for a few hours, the banks of the Thames became a little piece of Brazil.
A journey through five decades
The show celebrates Alceu’s entire career, spanning different eras and facets of his work. All the classics were there, including Anunciação, Tropicana, Belle de Jour, Coração Bobo and Táxi Lunar, blending frevo, maracatu and baião in that way only he can. Projections of archive images, historic photographs and works by Pernambuco artists such as J. Borges and Bajado accompanied the songs on the big screen, making it all even more beautiful.
On stage was an exceptionally tight band, led by keyboardist and musical director Tovinho, alongside Cássio Cunha, Zi Ferreira, Nando Barreto, André Julião and Costinha, with guest appearances by cellist Lui Coimbra and Natália Mitre. And then there was Alceu, at 80, with astonishing energy. He says himself that the stage is his vitamin, his source of joy and energy, and you can feel it up close.
Missing home
I have to admit that Alceu Valença made me miss home and my family terribly. My parents listen to Alceu a lot, especially my father, and many of these songs have been part of the soundtrack to my life since before I could even choose what I wanted to listen to. Hearing Sabiá and Taxi Lunar on the other side of the ocean hits differently.
And it feels so good to share a moment with such a Brazilian vibe, surrounded by a Brazilian audience. The crowd sang from beginning to end, got up, danced, shouted, grew emotional and turned that London theatre into a celebration with the unmistakable spirit of northeastern Brazil. For those of us living abroad, that means more than words can explain. It’s as if, for a few hours, we were home again.
The European tour
The London stop is part of the European leg of the 80 Girassóis tour, which began after visiting ten Brazilian state capitals. There are 12 shows in 9 countries, including Alceu’s first-ever performance in Norway. The European production is a partnership with Portugal’s Primeira Linha.
The tour has already visited:
- 28 October: Dublin, Ireland (National Stadium)
- 30 October: Lisbon, Portugal (Coliseu dos Recreios)
- 31 October: Coimbra, Portugal (Convento São Francisco)
- 1 November: Porto, Portugal (Coliseu do Porto)
- 4 November: Brussels, Belgium (La Madeleine)
- 5 November: Amsterdam, Netherlands (Melkweg)
- 7 November: London, England (Royal Festival Hall)
- 8 November: Paris, France (Salle Pleyel)
Still to come:
- 10 November: Zurich, Switzerland (Kaufleuten)
- 11 November: Geneva, Switzerland (Alhambra)
- 13 November: Berlin, Germany (Astra Kulturhaus)
- 15 November: Oslo, Norway (Cosmopolite)
If you live in any of these cities, go. Even if it’s not your favourite style of music, it’s a chance to see a Brazilian music legend in top form at 80, and to ease that longing for Brazil a little.
