Sweet Diva starts its journey around the world
Globo’s hit telenovela Sweet Diva is ready to conquer TV screens around the world following its recent premiere in the U.S. Award-winning author Walcyr Carrasco talks about the essence of the story and the key elements that will attract viewers’ interest to the brand-new Brazilian production.
Sweet Diva
Walcyr, Sweet Diva has been a huge hit in Brazil. What message do you intend to convey to the audience?
The telenovela brings a message of overcoming, of courage, hope, love and plenty of emotions. Maria da Paz is a driven, hard-working woman; she starts selling pieces of cake on the street and builds a factory and a chain of bakeries. She is also emotionally fragile and passionate. Her life journey reflects the lives of many Brazilian women. I wanted to write a telenovela with a positive message that made the audience feel good, that was a positive moment on their day, and that gave them strength to face everyday battles.

Were you inspired by anyone in particular for Maria da Paz? Is there a childhood story involving cakes, confectionery?
My paternal grandmother, Rosa, was a great cook, and she made wonderful confections. So, I grew up loving her and her sweets. I love to bake cakes, to see the dough getting whisked, I love eating cake! Cooking fits right into my universe. And I have a special appreciation for gastronomy. But I also deal with the idea that people can become successful by using what they already know, a gift, and the will to fight and work. Again, it is the message of hope, the certainty that everyone can find their place in the world. 

Walcyr Carrasco


The telenovela tells the story of Maria da Paz and introduces other strong female characters. You usually bring these figures on your writings. Can you talk about it?
All my plots, or most of them, highlight the strength women have. In Sweet Diva, they are vigorous women, who stand their ground in a violent universe, where death is part of their routine. For example, Dulce, a character masterfully played by Fernanda Montenegro, is between her extreme love for the family and being a matriarch who rules a clan of vigilantes, with incomparable strength. I know that this is a surprising character and I am very pleased that a Fernanda has accepted this role.

In Sweet Diva through the characters Virgínia, Josiane and the stalker Kim, the universe of fashion and digital influencers is highlighted. What is your relationship with this universe? Were you inspired by any digital influencer in particular to build these characters?
I think this world of digital influencers and the internet in general is very interesting. Since I’m very connected, I went to check how things happen, how they work... It was basically a reporting work. I show Jô (Agatha Moreira) paying followers. This happens a lot! I found out about other things as well but will only tell when the telenovela airs.
One of the greatest recent successes of Globo has a long way around the world in the coming months. Sweet Diva (A Dona do Pedaço) premiered in the United States on Univisión recently. The production is also going to air in Paraguay, Peru, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Honduras, following an agreement with Albavision Group. It was part of the highlights catalog Globo presented during NATPE Virtual Budapest.

Written by award-winning author Walcyr Carrasco, winner of an International Emmy Award, and directed by Amora Mautner, the telenovela Sweet Diva it is about courage, hope and overcoming. The plot is about Maria da Paz (Juliana Paes), a committed baker who becomes a wealthy businesswoman twenty years after a tragedy strikes on the day of her wedding to Amadeu (Marcos Palmeira).
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