Maria Bethania | World music review

Royal Festival Hall, LondonMaria Bethania is an entertaining enigma, a singer who can sound like a pained and passionate Brazilian answer to Edith Piaf, and then suddenly switch to more lightweight pop balladry. She became famous for her opposition to the military government in the 60s, and a decade later she became Brazil's biggest selling female artist, thanks to her reinterpretation of pained and romantic ballads, some written by her brother, Caetano Veloso.Unlike him, Bethania is a rare visi...

Read full article Share article