An ambassador of Brazilian music as well as a captivating stage presence, singer Dany Maia is bringing the very best of her home country’s vibrant musical history to an iconic Melbourne venue this May.
Monash University Performing Arts Centres (MPAC), famed jazz bar The Count’s will be presenting Brasilidade, a musical showcase of beloved songs and well-known classics from Dany’s native Brazil. With its indoor and outdoor dining areas, cosy interior (there’s not a bad seat in the house) and upscale Italian-inspired eatery and bar, The Count’s is the perfect setting for this intimate event.
Having grown up around Brazilian music, it’s an aspect of her life that has informed much of her musical identity as a performer. But, living in Australia for many years, she noticed a lack of performance spaces in which this kind of music was attracting audiences. It is, she feels, a loss to Aussie audiences, and one which she keenly intends to make up for in Brasilidade.
“What I hope to show,” she says, “is that this show is part of the tradition that celebrates Brazilian culture and music. It’s about my own way of sharing Brazilian music, of me sharing that through my own lens. You know, I’m a popular singer with a jazz band, so it’s a mix of traditional Brazilian music with the more intimate jazz vibe.”
Brasilidade – A Musical Journey with Dany Maia
- Live at The Count’s, The Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts
- Wednesday 7 May
- Get tickets here
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The diverse setlist Dany is bringing to The Count’s encapsulates a broad range of artists from all across Brazil, presenting audiences with a wide-ranging showcase of what this rich musical culture has to offer. Beyond that, she will be giving rare performances of more regional songs and music from the further-out areas of the enormous country.
The event promises, therefore, to be a refreshing view of musical legacy in all of its many shades and colours. As Dany attests, “It’s a show where people, even if they haven’t been to Brazil, they will feel the experience through the music that night.”
Brasilidade represents a first for Dany, having never performed at The Count’s before. It’s an experience for which she is highly excited, especially in light of the room’s famous acoustics and its welcoming performance space.
“I know it’s a beautiful venue,” she affirms, “beautiful sounds and lighting, very intimate. I’m really, really excited to go and play there. It’s really my first exposure, I haven’t been there before! It’ll be my first time, so I’m excited for that.”
The stage will be shared by musicians near and dear to the singer’s heart, whom she refers to as “beautiful, beautiful musicians.” The players in question – Jorge Albuquerque on bass, Alastair Kerr on drums, Yael Zamir on flute, Darrin Archer on piano – had already performed at The Count’s the previous month but will now be returning to the spotlight in something of a reunion, for Dany’s inaugural stint on the famous jazz stage at Monash University.
“They’re all great musicians who bring to my music a big contribution of creativity,” she says warmly. “We have been playing for a while now, so it’s always a great time sharing the stage with them.”
Dany has been living in Melbourne for nearly fifteen years, “despite my very thick accent!” she adds playfully, indeed speaking with me over the phone in a charming Latin lilt. You can just about feel her smiling through the phone.
She feels somewhat at home in the city, given its large Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking population. “You have a huge, lots of Latin people in Melbourne, right? You have this region of music everywhere,” she says. “But I feel that Brazilian music is more niche, so that’s why, when I thought I wanted to do this show with Brasilidade, I wanted people to experience the authentic beauty and richness of that music. The way we are, you know.”
Dany proudly elaborates on the characteristics of her fellow countrymen as resilient, as being able to shoulder tough times with a big smile, and how a large part of that cultural identity feeds into its musical output. An event such as Brasilidade, then, offers her the opportunity to share this with Australian audiences who may not be aware of the naturally buoyant and optimistic style of Brazilian performances.
“I think it will be beautiful for everyone to come and see,” she assures me. “I love interaction with people, and in my performances I normally show that. I am also an entertainer so I love that connection!”
Audiences can expect nothing less than 10,000-watt charisma in Dany Maia’s Brasilidade showcase, as bright both onstage as over the phone.
Dany Maia will be performing at The Count’s in the Ian Potter Centre for Performing Arts on Wednesday 7 May 2025 at 7:30pm. Get your tickets here. Find the full Live at The Count’s lineup here.
This article was made in partnership with The Count’s.
