Singer and songwriter Dênis Negão officially debuts his solo career on January 16th with the single “O Sol,” released by Marã Música. The track arrives as a manifesto of unity, belonging, and hope, connecting Africa and the Amazon in a more organic sound—with percussion and guitars—and marking a new authorial cycle for the artist, now more intimate and centered on his experiences.
“The Sun” rises as a bridge between Africa and the Amazon. At what point did you realize that this connection needed to become music—and what personal memory guides you most when you sing this?
As soon as I started writing this song, I knew it would be about unity among people, and incorporating this atmosphere of Africa and the Amazon—these are very important places that connect me to where my ancestors came from and where I am today. Telling this song takes me far in my imagination.
You say that this solo work allows you to talk more about yourself, about your experiences. What had you been keeping to yourself for years (because it didn’t fit on Nitro) that you finally managed to say in “The Sun”?
I used to keep very personal experiences to myself, speaking in the first person and talking about myself, and that’s not always possible in a band, especially because you write thinking about the collective, trying to put a little bit of everyone into a song, and in my solo work I can talk about my religion, where I come from, what I live and want to live, what I think about politics—it’s very personal.
The song carries a message of unity “regardless of color, religion, and choices.” Was there a real-life event—a conversation, a moment of pain, a scene from everyday life—that made you write this call to action with such urgency?
Reflecting on our creator who made everything we are, without distinction of any kind, only bringing love and hope, is the idea that everyone can, in one way or another, achieve their goal. What we would see every day is brothers passing each other over, wanting power at any cost, without unity, without respect for others, all for greed, leaving a trail of evil in their wake. This is everywhere.
Sonically, you exchange the power of guitars for percussion and acoustic guitar, creating a more organic and spiritual atmosphere. What does this change evoke in you as a performer? Do you sing differently when the backing track “breathes” in this way?
We give the song what we feel it needs. I wouldn’t even say that the whole album won’t have guitar; there will be songs where it will be there, not as the protagonist in Nitro, but it’s there because the music demands it. As we’ll have other genres, the percussive parts with acoustic guitars, keyboards, and other signature elements will show that this work differs greatly from my band Nitro.
You say that “we fight for so little” and that we are only “temporary inhabitants” on this spaceship called Earth. What was the biggest shift in perspective that life in the North brought you regarding belonging, community, and respect?
It’s not even about life in the North, it’s about life in general. We need to respect everything around us, the places, the people. Just thinking that in 100 years, those born today won’t be on this earth, what will we leave for the next generation? Today we suffer because of what was left to us. Look at the climate, the deforestation, the catastrophes in the world. We are nothing, just passengers.
When you showed “The Sun” to Tullio Nunes and he embraced the idea, it felt like a switch flipped. What exactly did you hear/see in that first test that gave you the certainty: “now is the time”?
All that was missing was a little push. My wife has always been very encouraging, as have some friends in the music industry. Tullio made everything faster; he transforms ideas and gives them a boost, and before we know it, we’re here, putting the project out into the world.
You hope the music reaches those who “need a sound with a message.” Who is that person in your mind: someone you used to be, someone you love, or a stranger you imagine?
Music is a box of surprises; you never know where it’s going to take you. I’ll let it flow like a wave in the sea and hit whatever beach needs it.
This single paves the way for a 10-track solo album in 2026. What “emotional map” will this album draw: where does it begin within you and in what kind of light does it end?
It begins with this spirit of unity and strength, moves through the nostalgia of childhood and the paternal figure, irresponsible and corrupt politics, and concludes with the love of the people.
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