The story behind Vanessa da Mata and Ben Harper’s hit song, ‘Boa Sorte’ has remained a secret for many years, but Connect Brazil tells all.
Vanessa da Mata made her US Concert tour debut in 2017 and many of her American fans can trace her musical introduction back to a particular song. Here’s the story behind Vanessa da Mata and Ben Harper’s hit song. ‘Boa Sorte/Good Luck’ is a bi-lingual duet.
Released deep in the Brazilian winter of 2007, ‘Boa Sorte’ was a bold revelation for both da Mata and the Brazilian music scene.
Streaming listeners in Brazil began to request the song for The Sounds of Brazil and we picked up on it soon after. ‘Boa Sorte/Good Luck’ went on the become one of the top 10 Most Popular Songs ever played on The Sounds of Brazil.
It had a jazzy groove was unlike anything on the radio charts in Rio and Sao Paulo and was cutting-edge for the singer, too. ‘Boa Sorte/Good Luck climbed to #1 in both Brazil and Portugal, launching Vanessa da Mata’s international career and establishing her as a perennial favorite for concerts and radio play in Brazil.
But few people know the story behind Vanessa da Mata and Ben Harper’s hit song.
“When I’ve recorded this song, I had the feeling it was not done, that something was missing,” said da Mata. “This was at the time that I had the luck to meet the great Ben Harper, almost by chance.
She continued: “A little bit later, I sang the melody of ‘Boa Sorte’ to him on the phone. Simply, naturally. Immediately he found the right words in English to answer the Portuguese lyrics, as if he was touched by the power of the lyrics and the sweetness of the melody.
The result is surprising: two people living on opposite side of the equator, speaking different languages, and singing the same song in duet. So ‘Boa Sorte/Good Luck’ deals with the theme of separation both in real life and in the story of the song.”
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