The 7th edition of Virada Cultural took place in São Paulo over the weekend, between 18pm on Saturday (16th) and 18pm on Sunday (17th). As THE CAPE had already advanced, some attractions had everything to do with the gay/LGBT universe, and they did not disappoint. Or almost.
Rita Lee opened the proceedings on the Júlio Prestes Stage, at 18pm on Saturday. The Queen of Rock, at the age of 63, once again performed a competent and vibrant show, showing that she is still good on stage. She had countless hits – especially since there is no shortage of hits in her repertoire – and captivated the crowd that came to see her. Rita has always been a supporter of gay causes and remains sympathetic to the community.
A few hours later, in Largo do Arouche, gay couples – mainly male – circulated freely, kissing and hugging, and then attended two shows in a row: Ritchie and Marina Lima.
The Englishman Ritchie, also sympathetic to the gay world - after all, he is an icon of the 80s, duly rescued by the Trash 80's party in the 2000s -, gave an interesting show, treating the audience with his hits: he opened with "Casanova" - theme opening of the soap opera "Champagne" (83/84) -, and also sang "The Invisible Woman", "Voo de Coração", "A Vida Tem Dessas Things" and "Pelo Interfone".
He also did a cover of Secos & Molhados - "Fala" -, another by Peter Gabriel - "Mercy Street", which Ritchie himself sang in the opening theme of the miniseries "O Sorriso do Lagarto" (91) -, in homage to the moon who shined at Arouche sang the beautiful "Shy Moon" – by Caetano Veloso, recorded by Ritchie and Caetano in 84, and which was the theme of the soap opera "Um Sonho a Mais" (85) – and ended, of course, with his biggest hit: "Poison Girl", which infected the entire Arouche – on the ground and on the windows and balconies of the buildings that surround the region.
Then came Marina. The singer, gay and lesbian icon – Marina has always declared herself bisexual – appeared beautiful and youthful, with an impressive look for a 55-year-old woman. Despite her notorious vocal problems – Marina has faced voice crises over the last ten years – the singer managed to sing the songs.
It must be considered that it was the first time in many years that she performed in front of a crowd in the open air. Obviously, Marina has already been singing her hits in a modified way, as she can no longer reach certain timbres. She also had technical problems during the show, constantly complaining to the stage crew and even stopping and restarting several songs.
Still, the final balance was positive and the singer finally won over the audience with songs like "Fulgás" – which opened the show -, "Pessoa" and "Uma Noite e Meia" – which closed the show in an apotheotic way, sung in chorus by the crowd.
Mart'nália, daughter of samba singer Martinho da Vila and an open lesbian, gave a lively show at 16pm on Sunday, at Palco República. The singer sang sambas and classics from her father's repertoire, such as "Mulheres". The public danced in pairs and an interesting number of crackers attended.
And the big gay show at Virada, if it can be called that, was by the duo Maria Alcina & Edy Star. The veteran singer and the veteran popstar debuted in the middle of Rua closeted gay.
The duo put on a hilarious and perfect show. Supported by the big band gathered for the show, the two singers lay down and rolled around, wearing various bizarre and circus costumes and props and entertaining the audience with a debauched and irreverent show.
Audience that, by the way, was euphoric and full of gays. The audience danced and sang classics such as "Brasil Pandeiro" and "Camisa Listrada", as well as enjoying obscure gems such as "Goodbye, Boy". The climax was the closing, with "Boas Festas (Anoiteceu)" – melancholic Christmas music, but which definitely transformed the show into a great carnival. Maria Alcina & Edy intend to continue with the show from now on. We hope so, as it is an unmissable project.
And so ended another Cultural Turn. Until next year!
