Djavan Brazilian Singer Born 1949 in Maceió

Early life

Djavan Caetano Viana was born on 27 January 1949 in Maceió. He is known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist. As a young musician in his home city he formed a group called Luz, Som, Dimensão, usually abbreviated to LSD and meaning "Light, Sound, Dimension", whose repertoire consisted of songs by the Beatles. In 1973 he relocated to Rio de Janeiro, where he started out by singing soundtrack material for soap operas.

Career

Djavan recorded his first album in 1976. It carried the title A Voz, o Violão, a Música de Djavan and included "Flor de Lis", which became one of his best-known songs. A second record, simply named Djavan, followed in 1978, and Alumbramento appeared in 1980, followed by Seduzir in 1981. On Luz, released in 1982, the American musician Stevie Wonder appeared as a guest. Lilás came out in 1984, Meu Lado in 1986, and Não É Azul Mas É Mar in 1987.

The late 1980s brought two records with English titles, Bird of Paradise in 1988 and Puzzle of Hearts in 1989. Coisa de Acender followed in 1992, Esquinas in 1994, Novena in 1995 and Malásia in 1996, then Bicho Solto O XIII in 1998. In 1999 he released the live album Ao Vivo, which sold 1.2 million copies. A video release of the concert came out in 2000.

The new century brought Milagreiro in 2001, Vaidade in 2004, Na Pista, Etc. in 2005 and Matizes in 2007. His 2010 studio album Ária was released in a live version the following year. Rua dos Amores followed in 2012 and also exists as a live album and video from 2014, and Vidas pra Contar came out in 2015. In 2016 he received Latin Grammy nominations in four categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Portuguese Language Song and Best Singer-Songwriter Album. His 2018 release Vesúvio was ranked by the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone as the 35th best Brazilian album of that year. His most recent studio albums are D, released in 2022, and Origem, released in 2024. Altogether he has put out 25 studio albums between 1976 and 2024. His live releases include a recording of Milagreiro as a video in 2002 and, in 2024, D (Ao Vivo em Maceió), which was issued both as an album and as a video.

Djavan's songs have been recorded by many other artists, among them Al Jarreau, Carmen McRae and The Manhattan Transfer. His life and career are the subject of a 2025 biographical musical, Djavan - O Musical: Vidas Pra Contar.

Recognition

Ária won the Latin Grammy Award for Best MPB Album in 2011. In 2015 Djavan received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also been honoured at the Brazilian Music Awards.