Diogo Nogueira celebrates 20 years of racing career across Brazil with tour

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The series of shows, directed by Rafael Dragaud (and in which he joins his group and his dancers in an orchestra, with a total of 35 musicians on stage) begins and ends in Rio: on March 1 it passes through the Farmasi Arena and on June 20 it arrives at Parque Madureira, with the audiovisual recording. The show will also travel to São Paulo, Belém, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Brasília, Recife, Salvador, Fortaleza and Belo Horizonte (see below for full list of dates and locations). Ticket sales start this Tuesday.

— We are returning to Rio to build Madureira Park for free for the samba people. It’s an audience that can’t afford to go to the Farmasi Arena, that can’t afford to pay R$600 or R$1,000 to see a show by Diogo Nogueira, Zeca Pagodinho, Jorge Aragão or Xande de Pilares — Diogo told GLOBO. — As I believe that the strength of samba lies in this environment that is the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, I think that they deserve the dignity of a sophisticated samba, with the terreiro in it, with the rhythm of the drum, but also with an orchestra, which makes this combination of samba and erudite. I believe samba deserves to be in this place.

Sentimental, emotional and historical dive

According to Rafael Dragaud, in the presentation text of the show, “the discussion on the repertoire was a dive as sentimental and emotional as it was historical” since “samba is so gigantic that it is a kind of multiverse, capable of dialoguing with all the dimensions of Brazil”. The musical scenario, according to Rafael, “is a poetic journey that includes timeless classics and blocks dedicated to love songs, gafieira and the atmosphere of the favela circle.”

Diogo guarantees that hits like “Tô faz a minha parte”, “Alma boêmia”, “Clareou” and, of course, “Pé na sand” (“it was a song that no one believed in at first, and which ended up becoming the most sung song in Brazil”) will be there.

— I bring these songs in a new form, including five new songs as well and other songs that I always wanted to sing but did not have the opportunity to sing — he says, who will not fail to pay homage, as always, to the sambas of his father, João Nogueira (1941-2000). — I revere my father not because he is my father, but because he is one of the greatest composers and artists of this country.

Paolla Oliveira, with whom he forms one of the most famous couples in the country, is at Diogo’s side in this moment of celebration.

— She’s a wonderful, incredible actress, she’s my friend, my partner, my companion, and, man, there’s no reason why we can’t handle this naturally. We respect each other and everyone knows their role, their work and everything is fine. It’s like any couple, he says. — If she’s not working, she’ll probably be at the launch and some shows.

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Infinito Samba, according to Diogo, “is a project that I have always wanted throughout my career, since I recorded my first audiovisual, my DVD at the Teatro João Caetano (in 2007)”. He will do his best on the LED screens, but he won’t let his dancers go on the new tour:

— I am passionate about gafeira samba, it allows you to relax your body and dance. They are erasing gafeira samba, they are erasing gafeiras throughout Brazil. And dancing is part of samba, right? The sweetness, the seduction, I can’t let it stop.

Today, he remembers the start of his career fondly. Which wasn’t easy at all.

— I was a boy who had just been injured (as a professional footballer), I came back from Rio Grande do Sul and then I spent almost a year like that without knowing what to do. I had an acute depression, I was locked up at home, and it was precisely when I decided to go to samba circles, to be able to clear my head, that the depression went away — he says. — People were already insisting that I sing; my mother, my sisters, my uncles, my aunts, my cousins; but I was still very reluctant. But from the moment I started playing samba, I felt comfortable, embraced.

Infinito Samba Tour Dates