dadá Joãozinho is a rising artist who is debuting his solo album on September 1st, 2023. He was part of the group ROSABEGE, which was formed in 2017. He was raised in a musical home with his father teaching to play acoustic guitar at early teens and his father’s friends fulfilled the rooms with music. In addition, dadá Joãozinho wrote song lyrics on his mother’s computer and attentive ears to the radio, especially Akon, Sade and Marisa Monte. His first album is called tds bem Global=all too Global.
It differs from his earlier group that was inspired in the Carioca Zona Sul, which is known as the neighbourhood that originated Bossa Nova and synth pop. João Rocha created a new alter ego during the pandemic, named after a special creature from his life. This provocative persona allowed him to “be open to possibilities, other ways of singing, other sources of courage.” During the pandemic, Brazil was under phases of intense isolation with many Coronavirus waves, and the icing of the cake toxic politics. Under these circumstances, music became even more important part of Rocha’s life, became his driving force, stimulated his body to “move differently.” He sings what he means, plays what he feels.
Under this sombre time in Brazil, dadá Joãozinho moved from Niterói to São Paulo at the age of 23. The change of scenery influence on his sound, according to him “there is punk feeling about São Paulo for me. The multicultural aspect of it strokes me a lot too, got me into a lot of things I hadn’t made sense of.” tds bem Global reflects past darkness, the fear to repeat it. During Brazil's military dictatorship, Gilbert Gil and Jards Macalé were exiled in rainy London. While Bad Brains and Bob Marley were at Lee Perry's Black Art in Dub. Rocha’s intention was to provoke himself to change and live life with another perspective.
Rocha’s creative process for tds bem Global was diverse. Bob Marley’s Exodus and Gilberto Gil’s Um Banda Um were frequently listened in the studio. In his spare time, it was played Arca, Bad Brains, Itamar Assumpção, Black Alien, Playboi Carti, Talking Heads, Fela Kuti, Pharoah Sanders. A few songs and a part of the production were done from home, in Niterói with Ullmann and Chabudé. They experimented with instruments and samples, creating collages of sound and improvisation. Along with friends to record percussions and winds. Last but not least, tttigo post-produced and mixed, adding the more electronic wave to the record. This set of factors resulted in an eclectic album. With dub, hip hop, Latin, baile funk, punk and samba. While inventing a few future styles. Additionally, playing nearly all the instruments. From electric and acoustic guitar, organ, electronic production to drum programming, among others.
“Ô Lulu” mixes an acoustic groove with organ stabs, hand drums and guitar ballistics.
“Cuidado!”(feat. Alceu, Bebé) has hip hop chops as the analogue synth and drum machine track weaves.
“Minha Droga” is a psychodelic dungeon with a syncopated mantra.
“Outro Momento” is a reverb-laden reprieve from the rhythm nation, Bossa-nova inspired.
“Pai e Mãe” is a sweet experimental samba.
Multiple genres and instruments intercalated with stacked vocals, imposing horn stabs, organic and inorganic beats in “VEJA”(feat JOCA).
tds bem Global hasno particular order to guide the experience. Many of the songs express the theme of freedom, searching for ways to live, taking risks musically and in life, and trying to enjoy the global madness. Each one of them means as much. His advice for the next ones that want to follow his footsteps is “Keep doing, keep experimenting, I’m just getting started too.”
His debut solo album returns the debate of importance of the arts during the sombre moments; it heals while entertains. It makes us reconnect or connect with our feelings, while provides comfort. It helps us to find the meaning and lotus flower, which grows from the mud and mire at the bottom of a lake, and still blossoms into an immaculate fragrant flower, unfolding its sparkling petals towards the sun. João Rocha indicates that art can be a strong method of communication and connect us all through humanity and experiences. In the darker times, art can be the light to find the force and resilience in us.
This writing piece can be also found in Outside Left: https://outsideleft.com/main.php?updateID=2813
댓글