Surforeggae tip: Learn about the release of Nayah's first label-backed record!

In the blink of an eye, it has been ten years since Nayah began his career. But this is a special moment in their history: the band releases "Nayah", their first album for a record label. Coqueiro Verde bought the noise that had already conquered Niterói, the members' hometown, and tweaked the repertoire (part of it already existed), including new tracks. Alone, without the help of a producer or promoter, the musicians had already sold, at shows and small specialized stores, more than three thousand copies of the demo CD “Foge pra lua”. Now, they want to take “Nayah” for the sun to hear. In the beginning, the band was called Nayah Bing – which, in Jamaica, means “drum soul” – and, from the current lineup, it only had Kid Mumu (vocals) and Guga Freire (drums). In 2003, MCs JPunk and Renzo Goldoni invaded the studio where Nayah (at that time, the band had already adopted the nickname) was rehearsing: the objective was to get musicians to make melodies for their rhymes. The two had studied theater together and, at that point, were partners in the duo Solano Star. Immediately, they were absorbed into the band. On the demo album, Mumu, Guga, JPunk and Renzo mixed reggae, rock, funk and rap. Now, they bring back the best of their repertoire and add the freshly released “Esse som é pra você”, “É só você querer”, “Nas ondas do rádio” and “Não vou me enquadrar”. "While we were playing shows, we were producing new songs. The other album did very well in Niterói, but was not promoted in Brazil. So, when the opportunity arose to release it on Coqueiro Verde, we put together this other CD, which is more organic. We revamped 'Sinta a energia', which we already played, but it was more rock. And the cover before was all done on a computer. Now, it has much more to do with the sound we make", says Mumu. For the cover photo, the musicians posed, painted and dressed up, in front of a painting by the artist Bernardo Ramalho, as if they were part of the installation exhibited at Museu do Ingá, in Niterói. For “Sinta a energia”, they came up with an arrangement closer to reggae, under the baton of producers Fabrizio Iori and Von Kilzer. The song appears again on the album as a bonus track, but in a live version. “Nayah Groove” starts with raggas half in English and half in Portuguese by JPunk and Renzo and only has a “help” from Mumu in the chorus. even the futility sold on television, in the case of the last one). “We want to show our art. Our thing has always been reggae, but rock has always been very influential as an attitude”, comments Renzo. "I listen to Planet Hemp, Bob Marley, Sublime, which is a rock band that plays reggae. We have been listening to a lot of Damien Marley. In the art of writing poetry, I have Jorge Ben Jor as inspiration." “Esse som é pra você” also follows the reggeira line, only romantic, and with the addition of a ragga song signed by JPunk. “Nas ondas do rádio” has everything to win... the radio. And in “É só você querer”, Mumu sings about love, accompanied by a melody that approaches r&b. In the rap wave, there is also the twelfth track, “Tranqüilo”. "There's no way not to mix it up. When we're in the studio, the first beat Guga makes on the drums is Rio funk. I'm one for digging into the underground. I like Asian Dub Foundation, DubStep, Fela Kuti... I also listen to Nação Zumbi, O Rappa", adds JPunk. Starting with Renzo's ragga, “Não vou me enquadrar” rescues and mixes the dancehall and rocksteady aspects of reggae (the first is characterized by the presence of an MC who sings and produces his own beats with reggae collages; the other is like ska at half the speed and with instruments such as the trombone replaced by pianos and basses). Dub also appears as an influence on the quartet in “Dubwise”, which has synthesizers, programming and even a vocoder (an instrument for synthesizing the voice). “We have a rocky, more nervous vibe. And we are influenced by rap. We are not a Rastafarian band. We mix styles. I think our album could be on the reggae or rock shelf", adds JPunk. All the lyrics are by Mumu, JPunk and Renzo, with some bearing the signature of drummer Guga Freire and other names. "Vinicius de Moraes, Baden Powell and Bob Marley are names that inspire me", says Mumu. "We have a weird way of composing. Generally, I make a song and JPunk and Renzo come in and add new things. Or Gustavo brings ideas. And vice versa. Everyone always gives their opinion.”

MORE INFORMATION

  Tel: (55) (21) 7892.6920 / 2580-3955   e-mail: contato@favelamusic.org Official Website: www.nayah.com.br Nayah on Surforeggae: Click and access.

MULTIMEDIA

Click here and watch Nayah with the video "É Isso".