Afro-Brazilianity: Sylvio Fraga and Marcelo Galter talk about Mocofaia’s new album [ENTREVISTA]

Mocofaia, a group formed by Luizinho do Jêje, Marcelo Galter and Sylvio Fragadebuted his long-awaited album, a work that combines tradition and innovation in Afro-Brazilian sounds. The album is a project recorded and pressed by Rocinantewhich also offers a vinyl edition.

Mixing influences from figures such as Dorival Caymmi and Mestre Pastinha with contemporary elements, the trio seeks, with authenticity, to rescue and recreate a sound with deep roots in Bahia and Brazil, exploring new languages. Listen:

THE Rolling Stone Brazilspoke with Sylvio and Marcelo, who explained the meaning of the project and revealed the creative process involved in building the album.

Check it out in full:

RS: How did the idea of ​​forming the Mocofaia group come about and what was the process like?

Sylvio: “Mocofaia was born in a very organic way. Marcelo, Luizinho and I had already been collaborating on several projects over the years. Marcelo and Luizinho, even more so, as they played together for ten years in another group in Bahia. We met through maestro Letiéres Leite, a late friend, and we noticed a great musical affinity between us. When Luizinho moved to Rio de Janeiro, we started composing a lot together. Marcelo came to Rio too and joined the composition. So, the three of us started composing straight away, and we made a lot of songs.

At some point, we thought: let’s let this go, right? Let’s play these songs. Each of us plays an instrument – ​​Luizinho is a percussionist, I play the guitar and Marcelo is a pianist and bassist – and our compositions ended up finding the waves we brought as instrumentalists. Everyone started singing too, and it happened naturally. Something I like to say is that this album has a lot of the joy of being together playing, repeating the grooves. So that’s how it all came about: writing together and deciding to play these songs.”

Marcelo: “An important point in this process was this meeting, initially working on other people’s projects. We collaborated in a very organic way on other people’s music, but at a certain point, we decided to do something of our own, assuming our differences and the gaps in each other’s musicality. one. In the beginning, it was more of a joke; we sent each other audio messages, even from a distance. But, when we all went to Rio, this prolonged coexistence sparked our collective creativity.”

RS: What does the name Mocofaia represent to you?

Marcelo: “The name Mocofaia represents this kind of organized confusion. A classic example was ‘Letiéres’ backpack’, full of everything he needed: computer, sneakers, sheet music, flute. Although it seemed disorganized, it contained the essentials for him. This concept it’s also present in our music and our creative process, which was very different from a more formal recording. We didn’t start with a pre-established score or anything, the process was more about experimentation, including words and sounds that sounded good, even if; didn’t have a clear meaning. And with that, we created.”

Sylvio: “This idea of ​​Mocofaia also reflects the lightness and flexibility of our creative process. Although the album has a well-defined structure and arrangements, the way the ideas emerged was collaborative and, in a way, chaotic. It was a game that became a structure , and I think this playfulness is the hallmark of the album.”

RS: How does Mocofaia represent the artistic selves of each of you?

Sylvio: “This album is a juxtaposition of our creative singularities. It is not an extension of any of our individual projects, but rather a fusion of the three. It is an album infused with the characteristics of each of us. There is not one track that we can say which is ‘more mine’ or ‘more his’; everything was done together, mixing our influences and styles.”

Marcelo: “For me, it was an opportunity to feed off my partners’ music. Normally, in solo projects, each person leads their own work, but in Mocofaia we needed to learn to make room for other people’s ideas. It was an intense learning experience, where, instead of wanting to direct the work, each person incorporated the contributions of the others.”

RS: How do you balance your creative differences and what have you learned along the way?

Sylvio: “Over time, we developed a creative intimacy. Each of us has the freedom to experiment and say, ‘this is incredible’ or ‘keep this thing’. This exchange is important so that we can value and build together, taking advantage of what everyone brings.”

Marcelo: “The exchange between us was essential. We worked out everything together, spontaneously. It was like recycling, guided by our ears and what the music was asking for at the moment. This allowed us to develop a creative intimacy, where each of us improved our own style and the style of others.”

RS: What was the collaborative production process like at the studio in Rio de Janeiro?

Marcelo: “Ah, this is the funniest part, like this. It’s the part where the album records a little of this energy, but this part of the experience is something that first started as a duo with Silvio and Luizinho, right.This is a craft thing. It was a process of play and discovery. The essence of the studio experience was this playful and spontaneous exchange. Every little groove, every idea brought, was a discovery. For us, the process was more about exploring than defining.

Then he starts singing, playing, right?I think that the fun in the process is the most interesting thing and it’s the essential thing that goes into our sound, it’s this thing, this wonderful moment of discovery, you know, that it’s not a bunch of pieces, like, it’s something more playful, it’s like you look for things within yourself that complement, you know, your partner’s musicality, right?”

Sylvio: “Before going to the studio, we spent two weeks in a row playing, rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing. And then we arrived at the studio to try to record that, that not even Marcelo mentioned, that spirit, you know? We arrived there with everything mapped out and ready to record what we were already playing, and the studio’s creativity was in details such as the choice of tones. We kept the spirit of our rehearsal sessions, but in the studio we had the opportunity to experiment with new sounds and explore possibilities.”

RS: How does the Afro-Brazilian influence manifest itself in Mocofaia’s tracks?

Marcelo: “Afro-Brazilian music is central to us, it is something that we bring naturally. Bahia appears as a deep cultural influence, something organic and unplanned. Our music is a connection with the body and seeks that true expression, which rescues what is most essential in Afro-Bahian culture.”

RS: How important is it to release an album on vinyl nowadays?

Sylvio: “Vinyl is a luxury and a unique experience. It is an opportunity for the listener to disconnect from digital distractions and fully immerse themselves in our music. Furthermore, the sound quality on vinyl is much superior, without the compression of digital platforms. It is like watching a movie at the cinema instead of on your cell phone.”

RS: What message do you hope the public feels when listening to the album?

Sylvio: “I hope the listener realizes how much fun we had creating and playing this record. That this energy, this joy is imprinted in the sound and that it can capture a little of our happiness in each track.”