Musicradiohead: Ed O’Brien talks about music and transformation in a speech lecture held by CultSp Pro also featured Ruth Daniel, founder of an NGO who works with music and art in places of Armadopoporian conflict.

“The music saved me.” That was the phrase chosen by Ed O’Brienband guitarist Radioheadto start a lecture last Friday, 21, for an audience of over 150 people in the Oswald de Andrade building in downtown São Paulo.

The event took place at the invitation of CultSP Pro – Schools of Culture Professionalsa program of the Secretariat of Culture, Economics and Creative Industry of the São Paulo Government.

O’Brien He shared memories of childhood and youth, remembering the problems at home with a conflict routine that resulted in the separation of the artist’s parents. In moments of tension, the guitar became a companion and a refuge, which allowed him to experience the transformation that only music can provide.

Me and the band boys and we got together to play. I confess that at the time we were not so good. But we had no party. We wanted to improve. We played to improve more and more and we entered an amazing journey. We formed a family. ”

In addition to the guitarist, the MasterClass of the Cultsp pro was attended by the founder of the European NGO In Place of War, Ruth Danielwho works with music, art and creativity in places of armed conflict, social injustice and areas affected by climate change. The largest project of the NGO is the Earthsonicwhich tells the story of climate transformations through musical collaborations.

During your speech, Ruth Daniel He detailed his experiences around the world and remembered a remarkable episode in Palestine in a community known as Kalandia (or Qalandia/Qalandiya). This village, located in the West Bank between Jerusalem and Ramallah, emerged from a refugee camp created in 1949 to host the Palestinian populations displaced by the 1948 Exodus.

Ruth He highlighted how music has played a transformative role in the place, providing young people and other residents a means of expressing their emotions, preserving their cultural identity and strengthening the bonds of solidarity.

Ed O’Brien and Ruth Daniel They participated in a rich exchange of experiences with Brazilian musicians, many of them residents of peripheral communities, and made a point of praising music production in Brazil. The guitarist himself, who lived in São Luiz do Paraitinga (SP) with his family in 2011, knows and likes Brazilian music. He cited Jorge Ben Jor, Caetano Veloso and Tom Jobim as important life references.

Radiohead currently

Living a kind of hiatus, the members of the Radiohead have not gathered for shows since 2018. With the end of the tour Moon Shaped Poolfrom the namesake album released in 2016, the musicians devoted themselves to other projects. This reality may change in the near future, but the possible return of Radiohead is just a rumor.

During an interview with Hay Festival Querétaro In 2024, the bassist Colin Grenwood revealed that the band met last year.

We did some rehearsals about two months ago in London, just to play the old songs. And it was a lot of fun, we had a lot of fun. “

However, the vocalist Thom Yorke He frustrated the expectations of fans shortly thereafter. “I’m not aware of that and honestly I don’t give a damn,” he said.

No offense to anyone and thanks for care. But I think we get the right to make what makes sense to us, without having to explain or respond to other people’s historical ideas about what we should be doing. ”

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