Maria Bethânia: the one artist who could perform a James Bond theme song better than Shirley Bassey
When Monty Norman composed the James Bond theme for the 1962 film Dr. No, no one could have anticipated just how iconic that opening guitar riff would become. It’s hard to think of a more recognisable theme in cinema history, and with every new Bond film, it just becomes more deeply ingrained in the fabric of the franchise and the public consciousness.
Since then, the producers have taken that theme a step further by enlisting some of the most famous singers of each decade to provide their own opening numbers. Over the years, the Bond theme has been a snapshot of the culture, with artists like Duran Duran, Madonna, and Billie Eilish instantly trapping their respective films in amber. But of all the artists who have graced the opening credits with their music, none has been as distinctive or successful as Shirley Bassey.
In three films – 1964’s Goldfinger, 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, and 1979’s Moonraker – Bassey lent her powerful voice and sense of drama to the franchise, forcing the movies to rise to her standards rather than the other way around. She is the only artist to perform in more than one Bond film, and, it could be argued, the only artist who probably should have done all of them.
Most subsequent singers have chosen to take their own route rather than try to mimic Bassey, which has often left much to be desired. Madonna, Jack White and Alicia Keys, and Chris Cornell have all fallen afoul of an attempt at uniqueness, highlighting the fact that there are several factors that should always go into a Bond theme. First and foremost, the franchise needs operatic drama that is either a whisker shy of camp or well and truly over the line. It needs orchestrals. It needs soaring, sustained notes. And it needs, above all, vocal authority.
There aren’t many people who could match Bassey on that last point, but if anyone can it’s the Brazilian singer Maria Bethânia. For some reason, Bethânia is not widely known outside Latin America, even though she is one of the most famous and beloved figures in Brazil. She rose to prominence with her brother, Caetano Veloso, during the country’s military dictatorship in the 1960s, becoming one of its most vocal opponents. She has an otherworldly charisma steeped in her resonant voice and her penchant for reciting poetry between songs. She’s the kind of person who was destined to be an icon, no matter what outlet she chose. These days, she is showered with the kind of reverence you might expect for a priestess.
Bethânia’s music ranges from MPB (Brazilian pop) to samba and bolero. Whether she’s singing a sweeping ballad or a protest song, she inflects every word and every note with drama. She can move from whispered urgency to smooth, soaring joy from one second to another, providing theatricality so evocative it could win a ‘Best Actress’ Oscar.
Her expressiveness alone would make her an ideal candidate for the Bond theme, but it’s the richness of her voice – not miles off of Bassey’s – that makes her the perfect fit. It crackles with power. It has, to put it another way, a license to kill, and it kills every time.
There has only been one Bond film set partially in Brazil, 1979’s Moonraker. Given that 007 spends so much time lightsabering with Jaws in space, the Rio section is often forgotten. It seems high time that Bond takes an action-packed diversion to Carnival or the beaches in Bahia. Even if he doesn’t, the producers should consider getting in touch with Bethânia. Like Bassey, she has a voice that transcends generations and would, without question, set the bar impossibly for future artists.
