Margareth Menezes and Daniela Mercury took office as Immortals of the Brazilian Cultural Academy (ABC). Photo credit: Reproduction
If they are already eternal in the hearts of Bahians, the title is now official: the singers Margareth Menezes and Daniela Mercury were sworn in on Tuesday evening (14) as Immortals of the Brazilian Cultural Academy (ABC). At a ceremony at the Cesgranrio Foundation campus in Rio de Janeiro, they won places in chairs 28 and 24, respectively.
Singer Elza Soares will take over the post of Minister of Culture. Daniela, on the other hand, took the seat that belonged to the singer and composer Gonzaguinha. In addition, artists Alcione, Glória Pires, Conceição Evaristo, Viviane Mosé, Liniker, Juma Xipaia, José Luiz Ribeiro, Vanessa Giácomo, Antenor Neto and Luana Xavier also join ABC.
“It was with great pleasure that I received the invitation to join the Brazilian Cultural Academy. For me it is an honor to stand alongside such important and representative names of our country’s culture and, above all, to take a chair that once belonged to the giantess Elza Soares,” says Margareth.
For her, as head of the federal government’s cultural department, it is a responsibility to the cultural sector to put together the group whose task is to defend Brazilian artistic expressions. “But it is also gratifying to feel that at this moment a longstanding artistic career, spanning almost forty years, is also recognized and honored, in which I bring with me all the women who strengthen and strengthen artistic expression in Brazil, in particular “black women,” he adds.
“We are particularly pleased to welcome our esteemed Minister Margareth Menezes, who represents our art so well and symbolizes the revival of the importance of our culture after a challenging time for the industry,” emphasizes the President of the Academy, Carlos Alberto Serpa. According to him, the 12 new academics will take office and thus complete the academy’s positions, which is a reason for great joy. “For all of us who welcome other personalities who are already established in the Brazilian cultural scene and who will strengthen our fight for cultural causes,” he says.
The Brazilian Cultural Academy consists of 55 personalities from different cultural areas. Among them Ana Botafogo, Zeca Pagodinho, Fátima Bernardes, Elisa Lucinda, Christiane Torloni, Lilia Cabral, Ney Latorraca, Beth Goulart, Rosamaria Murtinho, Gabriel Chalita and the conductor Isaac Karabtchevsky. Some immortals of the Brazilian Academy of Literature are also part of ABC, such as Domício Proença, Arno Wehling and Arnaldo Niskier.
ABC was born in response to the need to strengthen the cultural sector in Brazil and bring together notable personalities from different artistic fields. Its purpose is to promote critical thinking and tireless advocacy in favor of the arts and the appreciation of Brazilian cultural memory.