I am shocked that people considered Cyndi Lauper’s show “great” because she – clearly without a voice – did not use playback. Where have we come from?

There is no bigger fan of Cyndi Lauper than me. Ever since I saw and heard her, 40 years ago, I have been in love and loyal (truly loyal, I have never stopped listening to, buying her albums, or going to her shows) without blinking. Cyndi exploded at the same time as Madonna and the two never crossed paths, personally or musically, with the material girl surpassing her in fame and reach. While Madonna was a legend, Cyndi remained great, but paradoxically small in comparison.

I, who love Madonna, have been saying the same thing for 4 decades: Cyndi is more music, more of an interpreter, and more authentic. Madonna has a unique role in pop culture, no one can take her crown as Queen, they can try, but they can’t. However, it was Madonna who brought playback to the stage, something inconceivable for someone who wanted to make a living from music. Not Cyndi, who performed much better live, and the studios limited her unique and impressive voice. The two have always been opposites in everything, united only by their dedication and embrace of the LGBTQI+ community.

In 2024, the two divas, both over 65, returned to the Brazilian stage, especially in Rio de Janeiro. Once again, they are vividly compared. Both are noticeably older and have no voice for live performances, not that it is as clear with Madonna as it is with Cyndi, for obvious reasons.

Madonna sang for millions of people in Copacabana, breaking records and making history. Cyndi was a festival attraction and performed in front of about 100,000 people. And I love Madonna, but Cyndi was huge. I, who saw her more than once at her peak and know how she could sustain high notes for times that only lyrical singers dare to attempt, was sad to see her whispering, unable to hit high or low notes, but maintaining her professionalism and love to parade a list of great hits for the last time on stage. I was moved by each one, I sang them all and wanted more. Cyndi Lauper will be missed.

Katy Perry brought her to repeat Time After Time in one of the most iconic moments of this season of Rock In Rio and even slipped up when she almost called Cyndi old. “I want to be like you when…”, she stopped when she realized her mistake. “When I grow up?” joked Cyndi. “I just want to be you”, Katy diverted.

Katy is right: young women should aspire to be more Cyndi than Madonna. Madonna made up for her vocal “lack” with her dancing talent, which is why her shows were kind of Broadway-like, with up to 50 dancers on stage. Michael Jackson had done this before, to be fair, which was to recreate his videos live. But he sang and when he didn’t, he left it to the backing vocals. Today, all singers need to dance even if they don’t know how they need to occupy the stage. Is that really the case?

Cyndi Lauper is short, she is shy and NEVER did choreography in her videos or performances. She danced in her own particular way that honestly made her look huge. Even more so because, without backing vocals, she sang without pre-recording support. This could never be a reason for newspaper headlines or praise. But today it is.

Cyndi Lauper was not wonderful at Rock in Rio, sorry. Her farewell from the stage came after her voice was already gone. This time, there was no turning back. Her show was exciting and excellent within her physical limitations. I missed Cyndi from just 5 years ago, who was still like the one who enchanted me in 1984. Still, having said all that, I consider her the highlight of the festival. Cyndi is brave and that hasn’t changed over four decades. Without plastic surgery, and without technical support, she is a pure soul. She is a legend.

Pesquisar

Pesquisar