Meet Chameleo, who is inspired by his own anxiety in a danceable pop album without ‘pruning himself’ [ENTREVISTA]

Since childhood, the singer Leonardo Fabbribetter known as Chameleoalways listened to what a person “connected to 220” is like, and used that to create the second studio album of his career, titled High voltage (no release date scheduled yet), which was also inspired by his anxiety.

With a career that dates back to 2014, the independent artist even began to focus on releases from 2018 onwards, with an increase in the volume of songs in 2020. With one studio album to date, titled ECDISE (2021), he has more than 100 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify and collaborated with names like Number Teddy, Carol Biazin, Pablo Vittar, Johnny Hooker, Alice Caymmibetween others.

The passion of Chameleo He started with music when he was still a child, by a crazy twist of fate. Around the age of seven, he started taking theater classes as he was very interested in acting. It was in a play that he had to learn to play the guitar, and at this point he already knew what he wanted to be when he grew up – and it worked.

As he explained in an interview with Rolling Stone Brazil, the singer began studying guitar after his first contact with the guitar, then set out to develop composition and singing. When he reached adulthood, in his early 20s, Leonardo Fabbri enrolled in the sound production course at UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles), and completed his graduation.

Even in an interesting course at a prominent college in the United States, Chameleo I still had immature thinking. “My head was somewhere else while I was going to college,” she recalled. “It was two very intense years living abroad, having to make do in another country. This includes working, paying the bills there, because there is no way to make ends meet. [nos EUA].”

He described this period as a great learning experience, whether academically or personally. In the course, for example, Leo took classes with renowned producers, and one of them even worked with pink Floyd. Not just making music, the sound production classes at UCLA They also show behind the scenes of the music industry, with lessons on marketing, entrepreneurship, royalties, etc.

It is worth highlighting how everything that the artist learned abroad is very useful for him today, mainly because he is an independent artist and does not have investment from a large record company or label.

I am my own businessman, my own manager, my own finance, my own everything! So, I certainly take a lot from that experience back there.

Even with theater origins, Chameleo He preferred to pursue a career in music, but he doesn’t intend to give up acting, something he manages to include in more detail and depth in music videos, for example. He also made it clear how he doesn’t close doors and, if an interesting project comes up that speaks to what he’s experiencing at the moment, he wouldn’t hesitate to accept it.

From Curitiba to São Paulo

The trajectory of Chameleo moving from Curitiba to São Paulo is quite exciting. Some time after returning to the capital of Paraná after finishing the course at UCLA, Leonardo He was diagnosed with cancer and went through an intense period of transformation.

“I became who I am today, my version 2.0,” he said. “Even though I studied music and it was always present in my life since I was a child, I had insecurity, self-judgment… these things that pulled me back a little, prevented me from performing, presenting and seeing myself as an artist.”

Cured of cancer, Leo made a definitive decision: to move to São Paulo and pursue his artistic career. About a month after migrating, he was already in the metropolis and, since then, he hasn’t stopped for a moment – and he carries this mentality to this day.

The difficulties of an independent artist

For Chameleo, the main obstacle an independent artist can face is investment. Even without much money to go around in his career, he counts on the help of two faithful friends, but he is also grateful for people he met when “working behind the camera” in the industry. Furthermore, he cited difficulty in reaching spaces, such as editorial playlists on digital music platforms.

“Difficulties will always exist,” noted the singer. “I am lucky and privileged to have friends who help me, who believe in me… I can say that we are nothing alone. My work is made up of several thinking heads: a group of friends who have been with me since I was a teenager. Chameleo It’s us, the thought of three friends creating and doing as we can. Somehow, we always manage.”

Indeed, there are many challenges, but the artist notes how this is the structure of a gigantic industry, which faces many (and rapid) changes at the same time. “We can complain or not, but unfortunately she is like that,” he continued. “But you can swing without losing the essence, you know? It’s knowing how to adapt, and my name itself brings this: Chameleo comes from chameleon. It’s knowing how to adapt and fit in, but without losing essence.”

Precisely during the Covid-19 pandemic, without being able to support himself through music, he did various odd jobs behind the scenes, whether as a styling assistant or art direction. However, the singer managed to focus, during this period of social isolation, on his first album, ECDISE.

Even more so with emotions tripled due to the moment we were living in, I knew how to make the best of this devastating period… it’s knowing how to make lemonade with what you have there.

Chameleo is a high tension person

Almost a year after the release of ECDISE, Chameleo began working on what would be the second studio album of his career. Just as the passion for music arose, High voltage originated in an unpretentious way. The artist met a Russian music producer online.

He even drew some parallels between Russian and Brazilian artists: “I listen to a lot of Russian music because there is a very strong underground scene there, [além de] several points that connect with Brazil in the sense that queer artists are a form of resistance in Russia, because the country has several problems and issues that are beside the point… I feel a connection with the artists there who make things happen in the face of a system politician that goes against our existence.”

Over the internet, a Russian producer got in touch and sent around eight beats to the Brazilian, and that inspired him a lot. In this unprecedented sound, Chameleo saw the possibility of making an album, and put the foreigner in a link with Lucas Vaz, producer of the singer from Curitiba. And so it was born High voltage.

To date, the second studio album by Chameleo it is the most updated and closest version of who he currently is. In addition to the artist’s agitation and restlessness, anxiety is also a very recurring theme on the album, but it is portrayed in a lighter way.

“I wanted to explore my anxiety in a more debauched and light way, both in the lyrics and in the theme of the songs,” he explained. “Unlike the ECDISEI created the songs based on the theme, because I like to have a well-tied concept.”

I wanted to explore this electricity that is very present in me, and also a little of this dual voltage of 220 and 127 volts, the duality present in me – I believe in all human beings.

Without giving away the surprises, High voltage is divided into two parts, one more electric, represented by 220 volts, and another more calm, which would be 127 volts: “As much as I am very electric, anxious and agitated, I also have my moments of wanting to be alone, introspective , so ‘tranquilo’ brings that part. I’m close to 30 years old, and I feel like I’m moving more and more towards this side of serenity, tranquility, minus 220, plus 127.” However, the album is much more agitated than calm.

Furthermore, in High voltage, Chameleo shows concern for absolutely nothing. The lyrics speak more directly about his sexuality. “On this album, I hold nothing back, I say what I want and the way I want, without fear of judgement,” he said. “Without thinking about others. It’s my album. So much so that there aren’t that many feats. Now I want to do something about myself, speak my way, without worrying about others. It’s very genuine.”

Whether connected to 220V or 127V Chameleo manages to create his own sound style, with his own references and particularities. Even independent, he shows enough maturity to go further and further, and hopefully the High Tension era reaches more people’s ears.

HIGH VOLTAGE
new album 🔌 pic.twitter.com/YtqZxF9vuE

— CHAMELEO ⚡️ (@chameleo_) November 21, 2023