The actress talks about what it was like to play strong women, and what changed during the process of each character and gives advice to young black actresses
Aline Cunha is an actress and singer from São Paulo who has been gaining prominence and recognition in the artistic scene. In an exclusive interview with Máxima, she talks about black women conquering spaces within musical theater.
Your trajectory
She began her professional singing career at the age of 15, standing out in karaoke competitions, where her vocal skills already attracted attention.
In fact, she has always had a great connection with music, part of this is the fault of her parents who have always influenced her, introducing big names in national and international music, such as: Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Sandra de Sá, Tim Maia and Elis Regina. These references and others shaped his passion and musical style and paved part of his path.
As for musical theater, it was totally unexpected. During an attempt to join the dubbing cast of the film “The Lion King”, she managed to be nominated to participate in other projects related to music.
During that time there were great moments that were remarkable in his career, and this year can be said to be among them. In the first half of this year, she was invited to play the Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the musical “The King of Rock”. She was one of the most influential and pioneering figures in rock and roll.
“Interpret Rosetta It was one of the biggest challenges of my career so far. She was a woman ahead of her time, a true revolutionary, and bringing this important character to life made me grow a lot as an actress.”
Representation in theater
At the moment, Aline is on display with the new Brazilian production of the musical “Hairspray”, where he plays Motormouth Maybelle. In this role she needs a great and powerful vocal performance, where she gives life to a strong and inspiring woman, who fights for inclusion and racial equality in the 1960s.
In an exclusive interview, Aline Tell us how you feel about playing such striking black women.
“Although one is a character and the other leaves us a powerful legacy, both leave an excellent story to be told to recognize the struggle of black people for their spaces. The incredible thing is that they have a lot in common, as they fought for equality for black people during a time of segregation, they said that their dreams were worth fighting for, they grew up during a time of segregation and, most importantly, they loved music.”
When talking about Maybelleher current character, she exalts that it was a true gift of voice to an exemplary woman who represents so many others, who are spread out there and will also feel the same thing as Aline.
“I see the Maybelle as an exemplary woman: Mother, owner of her own business, high self-esteem, presenter of Black Day, example of courage in times of risk, woman who doesn’t give up on her dreams, GG and beautiful! This character represents the famous “YES! You can do this.”
And he adds, as he didn’t feel enough to live this role, but all that changed and became confidence.
“I didn’t think I deserved something so wonderful. Sometimes I kept making up excuses in my head to put myself down and justify the NO that I thought I would hear. Then came the long-awaited “YES! You will be our Maybelle” and I thought that if we really chase our dreams we can do anything we want.”
Finally, the actress reveals what she thinks of the theater revolution in relation to the representation of black women. And he emphasizes that he has a lot of faith that there will be a more inclusive future.
“It’s encouraging to see more Black voices being heard and more stories being told on stage, allowing Black actresses to shine and inspire audiences of all backgrounds. There are still challenges to face, such as the need for more Black writers, directors and producers in the industry, but I have faith that progress will be continued with an increasingly inclusive and diverse future of musical theater for Black actresses.”
And he also provides advice for the future of theater and young black women who are starting out in this area.
“We have a rich cultural and artistic heritage in the black community. Knowing our roots can give us inspiration and strength to go through difficult times and celebrate new doors that have been opened. Take advantage of the opportunities that arise for you to be on stage, as one of the best ways for you to learn something is through practice. The presence of black actresses in diverse roles opens doors to new work opportunities and professional development, promoting inclusion and diversity.”
Source: Maxima
I am an experienced author and journalist with a passion for lifestyle journalism. I currently work for Buna Times, one of the leading news websites in the world. I specialize in writing stories about health, wellness, fashion, beauty, interior design, and more. My articles have been featured on major publications such as The Guardian and The Huffington Post.