(© personal archives of Dona Ivone Lara's website)
DONA IVONE LARA
Over the next 2 months, we will present the DONA IVONE LARA story ... in 15 chapters.
In December 2015 at the VISOM Studio in Rio de Janeiro, Dona Ivone Lara recorded her final performances. She recorded her classics: "Sonho Meu" and "Força da Imaginação" for Alexandra Jackson's "ALEXANDRA JACKSON: LEGACY & ALCHEMY" music album.
"Sonho Meu" pays homage to the first 100 years of Samba. The track features Pretinho da Serrinha and Max Viana (whose father Djavan previously recorded "Sonho Meu" with Dona Ivone), with American stars Chris Walker, Darryl Tookes and Curtis King on vocals.
"Força da Imaginação" (co-written by Caetano Veloso) launches the next 100 years of Samba. The track features Pretinho da Serrinha, Max Viana, Ricardo Silveira, Arthur Maia and Marcelo Mariano.
Both tracks were Produced with Robert Hebert for his Legacy and Alchemy LLC international music label.
The tracks were recorded by engineers: Ricardo Dias, Guido Pera, Luther Banks and Danny Leake, mixed by Grammy Award winning engineer Ed Cherney at his mix room at The Village in Los Angeles, and mastered by the legendary Bernie Grundman.
These final recordings reflect well on Dona Ivone's magical career in music.
Chapter 2 of 15:
Dona Ivone took the profession of nurse seriously. After leaving the boarding school, she was admitted among the top ten at the Alfredo Pinto Nursing School. Ivone dedicated herself almost exclusively to nursing for 37 years with the intention of "being someone in life" and having a solid career. Nevertheless, the true passion of Ivone was always samba, something that not only her family repudiated but that her husband, Oscar Costa, prevented Ivone of attending places where it was played due to extreme jealousy.
Oscar was the son of Aracy Costa, also known as Dona Iaiá and Queen of Samba, and Alfredo Costa, or "The Dictator of Serrinha". Alfredo founded the samba school Prazer da Serrinha, which would later be known as Império Serrano (Serrano Empire). With their support, Ivone had her first contact with a samba school when she replaced the school's flag bearer for a year. But Ivone knew that for her samba could not only be just part of a party, a momentary thing of carnival, and soon she specialized in occupational therapy.
Ivone worked at the National Psychiatric Center, where she strengthened her friendship with the renowned Dr. Nise da Silveira. At the hospital, Ivone created a room with musical instruments due to the belief that art was a fundamental path for the recovery and socialization of patients. Intuitively, Ivone began to apply music therapy to patients. The results were so positive that she pursued this profession until her retirement in 1977.
During this time, the samba school founded by Alfredo was going through difficulties. The bad placings in the parades culminated in a restructuring of the institution. Decisions would be more democratic and the team of composers would only be formed with the best. With the restrictions imposed by her husband, Ivone dubbed these sexist rules by composing songs for the school and giving them to her cousins Hélio and Fuleiro, who presented the compositions as if they were theirs. Over time, she became a respected figure within the school.
In 1965, Dona Ivone was finally invited to compose the samba-plot of the school. And that was how Império Serrano came into history as the first samba school to have a woman in the composers’ section. Dona Ivone, besides composing, also paraded for the school. Extremely charismatic and owner of an exceptional gingado in her feet, Ivone enjoyed the carnival in the “baianas” section. Although she could finally experience samba, she still did not think of leaving her patients and becoming a nationally known artist.
Capitulo 2 of 15
Portuguese:
Dona Ivone levou seriamente a profissão de enfermeira. Após a saída do internato, ela foi aprovada entre as dez primeiras colocadas na lista da Escola de Enfermagem Alfredo Pinto. Dona Ivone dedicou-se quase que exclusivamente à enfermagem por 37 anos com o intuito de “ser alguém na vida” e ter uma carreira sólida. No entanto, a verdadeira paixão de Ivone sempre foi o samba, algo que não só sua família repudiava mas que seu marido, Oscar Costa, a impedia de frequentar ambientes assim por ser ciumento ao extremo.
Oscar era filho de Aracy Costa, também conhecida como Dona Iaiá e Rainha do Samba, e de Alfredo Costa, ou “O Ditador da Serrinha”. Alfredo fundou a escola de samba Prazer da Serrinha, que futuramente seria conhecida como Império Serrano. Com o apoio dos dois, Ivone teve seu primeiro contato com escola de sambas quando substituiu a porta bandeira da escola por um ano. Mas Ivone sabia que para ela samba não podia passar de uma farra, coisa momentânea de carnaval, e logo foi se especializar em terapia ocupacional.
Ivone trabalhou no Centro Psiquiátrico Nacional, onde estreitou os laços de amizade com a renomada doutora Nise da Silveira. No hospital, Ivone criou uma sala com instrumentos musicais por ambas acreditarem que a arte era um caminho fundamental para a recuperação e socialização de pacientes. De maneira intuitiva, Ivone passou a aplicar a musicoterapia nos internos. Os resultados foram tão positivos que ela exerceu essa profissão até se aposentar em 1977.
Durante esse tempo, a escola de samba fundada por Alfredo passava dificuldades. As más colocações nos desfiles culminou em uma reestruturação na instituição. As decisões iriam ser mais democráticas e o time de compositores formado apenas com os melhores. Com as restrições impostas pelo marido, Ivone driblava essas regras de cunho machista ao compor músicas para a escola e dar a Hélio e Fuleiro, primos de Ivone, que apresentavam as composições como se fossem deles. Com o tempo, ela foi se tornando uma figura respeitada dentro da escola.
Em 1965, Dona Ivone foi finalmente convidada a compor o samba-enredo da escola. E foi assim que a Império Serrano entrou na história como a primeira escola de samba a ter uma mulher na ala de compositores. Ivone alem de compor, também desfilava pela escola. Extremamente carismática e dona de um gingado excepcional nos pes, Ivone aproveitava o carnaval na ala das baianas. Apesar de finalmente poder experienciar o samba, ela ainda não pensava em deixar seus pacientes e se tornar uma artista conhecida em todo país.
