It’s been five decades since Alcione left São Luís for Rio de Janeiro and immortalized the song that became a true anthem: Don’t Let Samba Die. Since then, the black voice of tomorrow has visited more than 30 countries and has been awarded some of the highest awards an artist can achieve, such as the Latin Grammy, in the Best Album category. In celebration of these and other brands, the Vale Maranhão Cultural Center immersed itself in the life and work of one of the greatest Brazilian voices of all time to honor her 50-year career in the first exhibition dedicated to the singer in Brazil: With Love, Alcione!

Never accepting contempt, Alcione – black and samba singer – always sang the female figure following the evolution of women over time: aware of their desires, willing to conquer and have a voice. As the song itself says: it’s not just any song. And it won a place of reference in Brazilian Popular Music.

A Brazil in a brown tone

Alcione amazed the audience with his sounds and his voice, coloring the samba with every possible tone. All the colors of Marrom are present in the exhibition curated by Deyla Rabelo, Gabriel Gutierrez and Luciana Gondim. “During the research process, we realized that Marrom’s work is a great dedication to love and especially to women. Everything Alcione sang and played was dedicated. Thus, we think of the exhibition as an affectionate dedication that deals with the artist’s work and life. The visitor is invited to feel this affection and, through it, to understand the revolutionary importance of the artist for the culture of Maranhão, Brazil and the world,” explains Deyla.

Over 300 photos from the Alcione collection were made available for the CCVM exhibition, which will also feature ten emblematic costumes from various stages of the Queen of Brilliance. Maranhão is always present, even in the expression of its widespread religiosity, in the form of an altar built based on stories about its beliefs.

The audience will also interact with the singer’s work, with an exclusive jukebox featuring the full Alcione soundtrack, and karaoke for visitors to let out their voices with her classics. The exhibition also includes elements from Maranhão, such as the Mourões de Bumba Meu Boi, which in the colors green and pink take on the air of the singer from Mangueira’s favorite samba school. Brilliance is everywhere, living up to the striking and unique aesthetic founded by Alcione.

In these five decades, the unexpected itinerary combines the samba singer who climbs the slopes of Morro de Mangueira, the bolero lover who sings in the chic corners of São Paulo, and the playwright who revolves to the sound of the matracas of Bumba Meu Boi. “Alcione has a unique style, the result of the dialogue between the cultural bases of Maranhão and all the other influences that Brazil has acquired abroad. With this exhibition, the Vale Cultural Institute celebrates not only its unparalleled talent, but also the diversity of the many cultures that form our culture,” comments Hugo Barreto, CEO of the Vale Cultural Institute.

To Alcione, with all the love

The contagious magic of all drums, whether they are Crioula, Bumba Meu Boi or the drums of Escola de Samba. Alcione represents Maranhão with force, telling those who have never set foot in this yard about the enchantments that inhabit its underground. She paved the way for others to continue with their heads held high. To the most Brazilian of Brazilian women, with all the love…