Dona Ivone Lara

de Mila Burns

In 1981, Dona Ivone Lara released her third solo album, Sorriso negro , which represented a major turning point in her career. With production and artistic direction by journalist Sérgio Cabral and arrangements and conductors by Rosinha de Valença, the album features major names such as Maria Bethânia, Jorge Ben Jor and Jorge Aragão. In this book on the album, journalist and researcher Mila Burns shows how the album, with songs about freedom, black pride and female empowerment, reflected the fundamental changes that flooded Brazil in the final years of the military dictatorship. Dona Ivone Lara developed her own strategy to overcome the challenges of a black woman in Brazil in the 20th century, which served as an example for the following generations. Its strong stage presence, its famous counter-melodies and its biography incorporate, in many ways, the resilience of black Brazilian women in the face of multiple and intense challenges. ʺ --Mila Burns. The book also includes testimonials from those who followed Dona Ivone's career over the years, such as Bira Presidente and Hermínio Bello de Carvalho, as well as admirers of her work, such as Leci Brandão, Mart'nália and Pretinho da Serrinha, among others.