With shows at festivals and tours in Japan, Hibria is experiencing a ‘magical year’

Longevity is not a common characteristic of all bands, but there are those that can resist the force of time. This is the case of Hibria who, despite 28 years on the road, appears more mature, confident and comfortable.

The group prepares to perform at the Best Of Blues And Rock Festival 2024 on June 23rd, in Curitiba. In conversation with the Rolling Stone Brazilthe guitarist and founding member of the band, Abel Camargosays the show will be “very, very special.”

The longer the walk, the harder it is to make the setlist. Choosing between seven studio albums, plus an EP, plus what we recorded in Tokyo in 2011, so we prepared a set that could cover a lot of the band’s trajectory. – Abel

Experienced in the world of shows and festivals, Abel says that, when it comes to festivals, it is important to understand that it is something collective. “We need to have this collective understanding, everyone is important to make the festival run on time, which is good for the public, for the bands and for the organization.”

For Victor Emeka, lead singer of the band, one of the main characteristics of festivals is providing an opportunity for artists to connect with each other. “It’s at festivals that conversations happen – especially at backstage – and contacts. It’s where bonds are created to go on international tours, where we validate whether the structure to produce and perform a show is equivalent to that of high-level artists.”

With so many years of career and a new lineup, the band seeks a balance between more recent works and others that have made them famous over the years. Therefore, they seek to bring to the festival a setlist that covers the group’s hits, as well as tracks from me7amorphisis (2022) – their most recent album.

“We have to respect the band’s legacy,” he summarizes Abel. “What the band has already done, what the fans are waiting for, regardless of the lineup and, obviously, showing what’s been going on recently. It’s not easy. Fortunately the Hibria It has an excellent discography, so we can handle it well.”

There is a great elasticity in terms of styles that the band has been experimenting with on different albums. Many nostalgic fans like the Hibria from the beginning, but in these moments, it gives the band a freshness. – Emeka

“This has been a very magical year for us,” says the vocalist. A Hibria underwent restructuring between 2017 and 2018 – a period in which Emeka took over the band’s vocals. Since then, they have released their seventh album, amid the pandemic. “For me, it has a great weight because I was a fan of the band too, it had a big impact on my adolescence. I listened to the band a lot. Yuri [Sanson]. I saw myself continuing his work.”

He also says that there is a connection between the youngest members and those who are no longer in the band, “so there is also a very wide range of options in the future to hold meetings and cool things. The family Hibria It’s very connected.”

Back to Japan

The band’s calendar this year also includes their seventh tour of Japan. Their history with the country begins in 2004, when they released the Defying The Rulestheir first album, which remained the best-selling album for six weeks HMV – one of the largest record retailers in the country.

All other albums also repeated the milestone. A Japanese music magazine even questioned: “‘Would it be the Hibria O Iron Maiden of the 21st century?'”, he recalls Abel. “One of the most honorable comments we have received to date.

The first tour took place in 2009, when they went there. “We did three shows in Japan, as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Canada from coast to coast,” he says Abel. Their first arrival in the country was impactful enough to make them return the same year to play at the festival LoudPark — festival they held again in 2012.

This will be the band’s first visit there with the new lineup. The musician explains that the long-lasting relationship is a sum of the band’s trajectory and the good work of the current lineup. Hibria disembarks there in October.

Despite commitments, Abel It is Emeka reveal details about a new album. “We already have two or three well-structured songs,” explains the vocalist, and adds that the project should be released in early 2026.

“Before that, we have a very special project that we will announce at the end of the year, after the Japan tour,” he says Emekawhich predicts an even more special year than 2024 has been.