Ivan Lins
Ivan Guimarães Lins (born 16 June 1945) is a Latin Grammy-winning Brazilian musician. He has been an active performer and songwriter of Brazilian popular music (MPB) and jazz for over thirty years. His first hit, "Madalena", was recorded by Elis Regina in 1970. "Love Dance", a hit in 1989, is one of the most recorded songs in musical history.[1]
In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Guimarães and the second or paternal family name is Lins.
Ivan Lins
Ivan Guimarães Lins
16 June 1945
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Singer, musician, songwriter
Vocals, Piano
1960s–present
His songs have been covered by Patti Austin, David Benoit, George Benson, Michael Bublé, Eliane Elias, Ella Fitzgerald, Dave Grusin, Shirley Horn, Quincy Jones, Steve Kuhn, the Manhattan Transfer, Sérgio Mendes, Jane Monheit, Mark Murphy, Carmen McRae, Joe Pass, Lee Ritenour, Sarah Vaughan, Diane Schuur, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Take 6, Toots Thielemans, Dan Costa (musician) and Nancy Wilson.
Life[edit]
Ivan Lins was born in Ituverava - São Paulo. He spent several years in Boston, Massachusetts, while his father, a naval engineer, continued graduate studies at M.I.T., studied at the Military College in Rio. He later received a degree in industrial chemical engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.[2] He considered a career in volleyball before discovering his considerable musical talent. Ivan Lins currently resides in Rio de Janeiro and Lisbon.
Work[edit]
Ivan Lins has released albums regularly and penned several standards, such as "Love Dance", "Começar de Novo" (Starting Over) (the English lyric version is titled "The Island", with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman) and "Velas Içadas", which have made their way north into the American jazz lexicon. "You Moved Me to This", a duet with Brenda Russell from the same album as "Love Dance", saw modest success on American radio. He recorded in English for Reprise/Warner Bros. Records in the early 1990s.
In the mid-eighties, Lins recorded a jazz fusion album with Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour titled Harlequin, which was a critical and commercial success. Lins also composed the soundtrack for the Brazilian film Dois Córregos.
Lins' longtime composing partner is Vítor Martins. Their songs typically feature lush harmony with a distinctive jazz sensibility. One signature voicing he often employs in his own performances is the delayed addition of a ♯11 to a sus13 chord, or the delayed addition of a ♭9 to a sus13 chord.
Lins appeared as a guest performer on the albums Dois Mundos (1998) and Recorded in Rio (2003) by the Dutch artist Josee Koning. He also appeared on the Michael Bublé album Call Me Irresponsible (2007) and with singer/songwriter Paula Cole on her 2007 CD Courage, singing a duet with her on the song "Hard to be Soft". Lins guested on American artist Jane Monheit's album Surrender (2007), which includes his composition "Rio de Maio".
Jazz reporter and music critic David Adler[3] reported Lins's October 2000 Carnegie Hall concert performance and tribute to him. The event corresponded with the tribute album titled A Love Affair, released by Telarc Records. Headline performers from diverse genres participated in celebrating the man and his music on the recording and in the world-class performance hall, a noteworthy accomplishment in the history of any musician.
Lins maintains an active touring schedule, including a 2003 appearance at the Blue Note in New York City. In May 2008 he returned to New York, performing with Rosa Passos at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Ivan Lins is a political artist and musical icon in his country.
Beyond his own performance of his compositions, Simone is a notable and respected interpreter of his work.
In 2023, Ivan Lins' Um Novo Tempo, released in 1980 as a song of resistance against the US-backed Brazilian military regime, was played at Beijing Tiananmen Square to welcome Brazilian President Lula for a state visit. The song was suggested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brazil). Ivan Lins later said on Twitter: "I'm so emotional! You can't imagine how much this means to me and Vitor [Martins],"[4]