daniela mercuri de almeida was born on july 28, 1965, in the portuguese hospital in salvador, bahia. her mother is liliana mercuri, a social worker of italian ancestry, and her father is antónio fernando de abreu ferreira de almeida, a portuguese emigrant industrial mechanic. mercury grew up in a middle class household in the brotas neighborhood of salvador with her four siblings: tom, cristiana, vânia (who would also become a singer, billed as vânia abreu), and marcos. a troublemaker as a child, mercury was nicknamed "drip-fire". she attended both the ana néri school and the colégio baiano.