Marisa Monte at SummerStage in Central Park

Marisa Monte
SummerStage in Central Park
New York, NY
July 2, 2023

Preceded by a set by DJ Lara, Marisa Monte took the stage backed by an eight-piece band that included legendary bassist Dadi with "Portas," the title track and lead single of her 2022 album of the same name. She followed with a collection of songs from her three-decade career—something she hadn't done in previous international tours, which mostly focused on tunes from her newer works.

During the set, she alternated accompanying herself on acoustic guitar and ukulele, the latter of which was featured on tunes such as "Seja Feliz" and "Ainda Bem," both from "O Que Voce Quer Saber de Verdade (Blue Note, 2011). She was clearly aware that the audience in Central Park would not be familiar with newer songs, so she tweaked the set to include earlier hits such as "Beija Eu," "Maria de Verdade" and "Amor I Love You," all of them turned into sing-along sessions from fans, which were mostly from her native Brazil.

Halfway through the set, she brought in frequent collaborator Gustavo Amarante, a fellow Brazilian singer-songwriter for one of only two covers (the other being "Preciso Me Encontrar, a classic samba penned by the late Cartola, a revered Rio de Janeiro songwriter) for the evening, a rendition of Caetano Veloso's "Nu Com A Minha Musica," a song they performed together with Davendra Banhart on 2011's underrated Red Hot and Rio 2 (E1 Entertainment), an album that featured contributions by Bebel Gilberto, Rita Lee and many others. The mostly obscure tune was well received, but it was clear that the audience was there for the hits.

Monte has great energy on stage, using her voice and body language to bring life to her songs. She stays close to the studio recordings and rarely drifts from how they were originally recorded. Among the highlights were "Nao Va Embora" and "Na Estrada," both huge hits from 2000's Memórias, Crônicas e Declarações de Amor (EMI).

Monte closed the show with an a capella version of "Bem Que Se Quis," the first single from MM, her debut album (1989). As she walked offstage thousands of voices sang the melody and verses until the end.

Marisa Monte deserves the acclaim she has had over the decades. She is a talented singer-songwriter and has great command of the stage, inviting the audience participation, even if some might not quite understand the words of her Portuguese-language songs.