Djavan Caetano Viana (; born 27 January 1949) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers in Brazilian history.

Early life and career

Djavan was born in

Maceió Maceió (), formerly anglicised as Maceio, is the capital and the largest city of the coastal state of Alagoas, Brazil. The name "Maceió" is an Indigenous term for a Spring (hydrology), spring. Most maceiós flow to the sea, but some get trapped ...

, Brazil to a white father of Dutch descent and a black mother. He later formed the group Luz, Som, Dimensão (LSD – "Light, Sound, Dimension"), playing Beatles' material. In 1973, Djavan moved to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

and started singing soap opera soundtracks. His first album, ''A Voz, o Violão e a Arte de Djavan'', was recorded in 1976 and included the hit song "Flor de Lis".

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

was a guest on the album ''

Luz Luz may refer to: People and fictional characters * Luz (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name, nickname or surname, including Spanish and Portuguese * Luz (cartoonist), pen name of French cartoonist Rén ...

''. In 1999, his album ''Ao Vivo'' sold 1.2 million copies. In 2016, he was nominated for the 2016 Latin Grammy Awards in the

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without re ...

, Album of the Year, Best Portuguese Language Song and Best Singer-Songwriter Album categories. Djavan's compositions have been recorded by numerous musicians, including

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and songwriter. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and ...

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

and

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer was an American vocal group founded in 1969 in New York City, performing music genres like a cappella, Brazilian jazz, Swing music, swing, vocalese, rhythm and blues, Pop music, pop, and standards. They have won eleven G ...

. His album ''Vesúvio'' was ranked as the 35th best Brazilian album of 2018 by the Brazilian edition of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine. His life and career are depicted in the 2025 biographical

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

''Djavan - O Musical: Vidas Pra Contar''.

Discography

Studio albums

* (1976) ''

A Voz, o Violão, a Música de Djavan ''Djavan'' (also known by its subtitle, ''A Voz, O Violão, A Música de Djavan'') is the debut album by Brazilian singer and songwriter Djavan. It was released in 1976. The album features some of the singer's early hits, like "Flor de Lis," "Para- ...

'' * (1978) ''Djavan'' * (1980) ''

Alumbramento ''Alumbramento'' is the third album by Brazilian singer and composer Djavan Djavan Caetano Viana (; born 27 January 1949) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers in Brazilia ...

'' * (1981) ''Seduzir'' * (1982) ''

'' * (1984) ''

Lilás ''Lilás'' (Purple) is the sixth album by Brazilian singer and songwriter Djavan Djavan Caetano Viana (; born 27 January 1949) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers in Braz ...

'' * (1986) ''Meu Lado'' * (1987) ''

Não É Azul Mas É Mar ''Não é Azul, Mas é Mar'' (in English "It's not blue, but it's hesea") is an album by musician, singer, and composer Djavan released in 1987 by Sony Records. Recorded in Los Angeles, California, and co-produced by Ronnie Foster with Djavan, ...

'' * (1988) '' Bird of Paradise'' * (1989) ''Puzzle of Hearts'' * (1992) ''

Coisa de Acender ''Coisa de Acender'' is a 1992 album by Brazilian singer and songwriter Djavan, released by Sony Music. Praised by critics and musicians, the album is more pop than his previous ones. Among the successes are the first four tracks: "Se..." (one ...

'' * (1994) ''Esquinas'' * (1995) ''Novena'' * (1996) ''

Malásia ''Malásia'' is the twelfth album by Brazilian singer and songwriter Djavan. It was released in 1996. The album opens with the song "O Que foi My Love?", a jazz accelerated ending in the form of blues; "Sêca", which talks about the drought in n ...

'' * (1998) ''Bicho Solto O XIII'' * (2001) ''Milagreiro'' * (2004) ''Vaidade'' * (2005) ''Na Pista, Etc.'' * (2007) ''

Matizes ''Matizes'' (in English Hues) is an album of singer and songwriter Brazilian Djavan, released in 2007. Track listing # Joaninha (Djavan) – 5:35 # Azedo e Amargo (Djavan) – 4:41 # Mea-Culpa (Djavan) – 4:04 # Imposto (Djavan) – 4:16 # Delí ...

'' * (2010) ''Ária'' * (2012) ''Rua dos Amores'' * (2015) ''Vidas pra Contar'' * (2018) ''Vesúvio'' * (2022) ''D'' * (2024) ''Origem''

Live albums

* (1999) ''Ao Vivo'' * (2011) ''Ária (Ao Vivo)'' * (2014) ''Rua dos Amores (Ao Vivo)'' * (2024) ''D (Ao Vivo em Maceió)''

Video albums

* (2000) ''Ao Vivo'' * (2002) ''Milagreiro (Ao Vivo)'' * (2011) ''Ária (Ao Vivo)'' * (2014) ''Rua dos Amores (Ao Vivo)'' * (2024) ''D (Ao Vivo em Maceió)''

References

External links

Djavan's official web site

Djavan's chords and tabs
{{Authority control 1949 births Living people Afro-Brazilian male singers Brazilian male singers Samba musicians Brazilian jazz singers Brazilian people of Dutch descent Brazilian people of indigenous peoples descent Columbia Records artists Música Popular Brasileira singers Latin dance singers Latin Grammy Award winners People from Maceió Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Brazilian male songwriters Latin music songwriters Brazilian male jazz musicians Multishow Brazilian Music Award winners Afro-Brazilian male singer-songwriters