Ivan Guimarães Lins, better known as Ivan Lins, was born on June 16, 1945, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (however, another biographical source indicates he was born in the city of Ituverava, within the state of São Paulo).
Lins faher was a naval engineer. At a young age, he spent some time in Boston, where his father pursued studies. These two nations, the United States and Brazil, exerted a profound influence over his musical evolution. It was in Rio, amidst the burgeoning wave of bossa nova, that Lin embarked on a self-guided pursuit to master the piano. By the age of twenty, he was at the helm of a trio, serenading audiences at a nightclub.
Lins came to fame in Brazil in 1970, when Elis Regina recorded his song “Magdalena” that became a hit. In the early 1970s, Lins developed a creative partnership with Vitor Martins, a lyricist characterized by profound poesy and a penchant for the political. Commencing with their maiden collaboration, “Abre Alas” (Open Your Arms), in 1974, the dynamic duo of Lins and Martins created an impressive collection of songs. Many of their compositions, such as “Aos Nossos Filhos” (To Our Children) and “Corpos” (Bodies), bore the weight of political themes, while others—”Bilhete” (Ticket), “Antes Que Seja Tarde” (Before It’s Too Late), “Lembra de Mim” (Remember Me), “Velas Içadas” (Hoisted Sails)—navigated the waters of embattled love and life.
It was during this period that Lins embarked on a prolific recording spree, delivering a succession of seminal albums under the imprints of EMI and Philips. Elis Regina and a pantheon of acclaimed Brazilian vocalists lent their voices to his compositions. However, it was the fortuitous encounter with Quincy Jones in 1980 that catapulted Lins’s career onto the international stage.
Quincy Jones assumed a pivotal role in popularizing Lins in the United States, most notably through the facilitation of English lyrics for his compositions. The duo of Alan & Marilyn Bergman undertook the transformation of one of Lins’s timeless classics, “Começar de Novo” (To Begin Again), into the impassioned “The Island,” a rendition that found favor with luminaries like Sarah Vaughan. Mark Murphy released an entire collection of Lins’s works, titled “Night Mood,” while trumpeter Terence Blanchard followed suit with “The Heart Speaks.”
Ivan Lins’ most famous composition, “Love Dance,” has been recorded by dozens of jazz artists including Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, Nancy Wilson and others.
Lins has performed at some of the world’s most prestigious venues including; the North Sea Jazz Festival, London’s Royal Festival Hall, Hollywood Bowl and the Monterey Jazz Festival.
In concert and in the recording studio, singer, keyboardist and composer, Lins, stands out as a performer whose musical roots have sprouted into a sound that belongs to the whole global village.
In September 2000, Telarc released A Love Affair The Music of Ivan Lins uniting a stellar group of pop and jazz greats with Lins. This tribute visited some of Lins’ most famous material with a decidedly contemporary approach. “I have always been accustomed to listening to other artists’ recordings of my songs with a blend of Brazilian and jazz attitudes. Rarely had my songs been conceived in American pop versions. This is a contemporary American vision of my music.”
The 2000s ushered in an era of heightened acclaim for Lins, marked by four Latin Grammy Awards, two of which were bestowed upon his album Cantando Histórias (Singing Stories), and one each for Ivan Lins and the Metropole Orchestra and América, Brasil.
In the present day, Lins, who adeptly balances his time between the bustling avenues of Rio de Janeiro and the tranquil environs of Lisbon, continues his relentless touring endeavors.
His recent collaboration with Resonance Records, a Los Angeles-based purveyor of jazz, has borne fruit in the form of two albums. In Night Kisses: A Tribute to Ivan Lins, clarinet virtuoso Eddie Daniels, in tandem with a string quartet, breathes new life into Lins’s earlier masterpieces. Furthermore, on the 2023 album My Heart Speaks, Lins performs rare gems from his expansive catalog, in the company of the 91-piece symphony orchestra from Tbilisi, the capital of the Republic of Georgia.
Discography:
Agora (Forma, 1970)
Deixa O Trem Seguir (Forma, 1971)
Quem Sou Eu (Philips, 1972)
Modo Livre (RCA Victor, 1974)
Chama Acesa (RCA Victor, 1975)
Somos Todos Iguais Nesta Noite (EMI, 1977)
Começar de novo (1977)
Nos Dias de Hoje (EMI, 1978)
A Noite (EMI, 1979)
Novo Tempo (EMI, 1980)
Daquilo Que Eu Sei (Philips, 1981)
Depois dos Temporais (Philips, 1983)
Juntos (Philips, 1984)
Ivan Lins (Som Livre, 1986)
Mãos (Philips, 1987)
Love Dance (Reprise Records, 1988)
Amar Assim (Philips, 1989)
Awa Yiô (Reprise Records, 1991)
A Doce Presença de Ivan Lins (Velas, 1994)
Anjo de Mim (Velas, 1995)
I’m Not Alone (1996)
Acervo Especial, Vol. 2 (1997)
Ivan Lins/Chucho Valdés/Irakere/Ao Vivo (Velas, 1996)
Viva Noel: Tributo a Noel Rosa Vol. 1 (Velas, 1997)
Viva Noel: Tributo a Noel Rosa Vol. 2 (Velas, 1997)
Live at MCG (MCG Jazz, 1999)
Dois Córregos (1999)
Um Novo Tempo (1998)
A Cor Do Pôr-Do-Sol (Abril Music, 2000)
Jobiniando (Abril Music, 2001)
Love Songs – A Quem Me Faz Feliz (Abril Music, 2002)
I Love Mpb – Amor (2004)
Cantando Histórias (EMI, 2004)
Acariocando (EMI, 2006)
Saudades de Casa (Warner Music Brazil, 2007)
Regência: Vince Mendoza (2009)
Inventario Incontra Ivan Lins (EMI, 2012)
Amorágio (Som Livre, 2012)
Cornucopia (Moosicus Records, 2013)
América, Brasil (Sony Music, 2014)
Ivan Lins – Anos 70 (Discobertas, 2016), 3CD boxed set
Muito Bom Tocar Junto (Discobertas, 2016)
Cumplicidade (Fina Flor, 2017)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.