Works by Manuela Hereda (on the left) and Pablo Araújo are exhibited in the exhibition 'Queen Queen – Life, music, love and poetry', on display in Salvador Mauro Ferreira / Montagem g1 ? FIRST PERSON OF SINGULAR ? SALVADOR (BA) – When Nelson Motta associated Anitta's name with an “MPB entity”, when commenting on the still unreleased show inspired by the album “Equilibrium II”, I immediately realized that Nelsinho was talking about Maria Bethânia. Me and everyone who knows the Bahian performer and who knows how the singer is perceived behind the scenes at MPB. It's just that Bethânia carries this sacred aura of an artist in deep connection with spirituality. This image of an earthly divinity – when on stage, exercising the craft of singing – came to my mind several times while attending the opening of the exhibition “Queen Bee – Life, music, love and poetry”, which opened on the evening of Wednesday, July 22nd, with a vernissage at the art gallery Me Ateliê da Fotografia, in Santo Antônio Além do Carmo, a neighborhood in the city of Salvador (BA), close to Pelourinho. I took advantage of my temporary stay in Salvador (BA) and went to visit the exhibition. With works by 25 visual artists, the exhibition created by photographer and curator Mário Edson to celebrate Maria Bethânia's 80th birthday – celebrated by the artist on June 18 – seems to emphasize the singer's sacred aura in photographs, drawings and paintings that, often, associate symbols and signs of Afro-Brazilian religions with the artist's image. Right away, the work “Who are you?” caught my attention, an imposing oil painting on an umbrella created by the artist Rogério Silva. Then, other works captured my gaze. This was the case of “Where the Light Lives”, a drawing on canvas created by artist Pablo Araújo. Looking at Bethânia's white hair in this drawing immediately reminded me of the intentionally aged image of the singer on the cover of the album “Ciclo”, from 1983. It's as if there was a transcendence in the strength of those white hair. Works by artists Bianca Branco (“Menina de Oyá”), Manuela Hereda and Wagner Lacerda (an installation in which verses of songs from the performer's most spiritual repertoire are read) underlined this status of entity achieved by Maria Bethânia throughout her 63 years on stage. Open to the public from 4pm today, Friday, July 24th, with free entry, the exhibition “Queen Bee – Life, music, love and poetry” is simple, but highlights in visual works the majestic haughtiness that governs the existence of Maria Bethânia, “MPB entity” as Nelson Motta so characterized her. Work “Who are you?”, by the artist Rogério Silva, on display in the exhibition that runs in Salvador (BA) from July 24th to September 24th Mauro Ferreira / g1 Installation by the artist Wagner Lacerda that stands out in the exhibition that opens today, July 24th, to the public Mauro Ferreira / g1