By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Media Services
February 19, 2008
It’s all about love with Lenny Kravitz. He released his debut album “Let Love Rule” almost two decades ago. His latest CD is “It is Time for a Love Revolution.” “I believe in love and that is a theme I like to address in my songs,” the sexy rock star says. “But I never repeat a particular sound on my albums. People know it’s me by my voice and musical sensibilities, but hopefully what they’re hearing is unlike what they heard (on my last record).”
Kravitz, 43, is on a worldwide tour for most of 2008 and is looking forward to being back on the road. He talks about the time he spent in Brazil a few months ago and counts it as one of his favorite countries to visit, whether or not he’s working.
WHY BRAZIL? I fell in love with it the first time I visited. I was staying up in the mountains on a farm and was just amazed at how wonderful life could be. I enjoyed the simplicity of life there. There is such a richness in the culture and the people are so generous.
WHAT YOU DID THERE: I was there rehearsing for this tour and working on music. I actually was thinking about music all the time and figuring out some of my future. I did a little bit of everything, but I really enjoyed resting, being introspective and enjoying nature. It was how life should be – unhurried, beautiful and memorable.
BEST THING ABOUT BRAZILIANS: I think it goes without saying that Brazilian women are amongst the most beautiful women in the world! I loved their smiles, too. The people there are warm and open. They know how to have fun and appreciate life. I met some people who had very little material things, but they lived life to the fullest and just enjoyed each other and welcomed visitors such as myself. Sometimes it takes going to a different country and experiencing a new culture to realize that you don’t have to have a lot of things to be happy.
WHY TRAVELING IS A PART OF HIS LIFE: I’d visit other countries even if it wasn’t a part of my job. You have to travel to know what’s going on in the world. You can read about it and see it on the news, but it’s not the same as being there and seeing for yourself. When I started touring, I really started to learn about the world – the good and the bad. And you pray that things will get better everywhere. If people could get away – even for just a couple weeks every year and go somewhere they’ve never been before – the world would be a better place.
NEXT STOP? I’m touring this year to promote “It is Time for a Love Revolution” so I’m going everywhere. Besides the U.S., I’ll be in Russia, Canada, South America and many other places. We’ve got a lot of territory to cover. Just the European tour alone will take about four months.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BRAZIL:
CAPITAL: Brasilia.
LANGUAGE SPOKEN: Portuguese is the official language, but many natives also speak Spanish, French and English.
RELIGION: Seventy-four percent of all Brazilians are Catholic.
CURRENCY: Brazilian Real (R$1.75 is equal to $1USD)
LOCATION: With the exception of Ecuador and Chile, Brazil borders every South American nation.
FAMOUS BRAZILIANS: Soccer star Pele, actress Sonia Braga, architect Lucio Costa (who designed the capital of Brasilia) and Victoria’s Secret supermodel Adriana Lima.
WHAT BRAZIL IS KNOWN FOR: Rio de Janeiro, which was the country’s capital until 1960, the annual Carnival, which is held 40 days prior to Easter, and its beaches (Copacabana and Ipanema). Antonio Carlos Jobim’s jaunty song “Garota de Ipanema” was recorded in English as “The Girl from Ipanema.” And Barry Manilow immortalized the location with his hit single “Copacabana.”
To learn more about Brazil, visit www.brazil.com. For more Lenny Kravitz information, including tour dates, check out www.lennykravitz.com.
© 2008 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
