The multi-artist Alfamor is back, bringing a renewed approach to her album “ONÇA” released three years ago. Always restless and in constant evolution, the artist joins forces with music producer Vini Albernaz to incorporate dub elements to the ancestral and futuristic sounds of her work, creating a sound journey rich in layers. Entitled “ONÇA DUB”, the album is scheduled to be released on September 1st via the yb music label.
With a career spanning over a decade, Paola Alfamor is a multi-disciplinary artist who expresses herself through various art forms, including visual art, photography, video making and dot-to-dot tattooing, combined with the therapeutic application of crystals.
Her music is deeply influenced by her forays into other forms of artistic expression and addresses themes that are intimate to contemporary women. In addition to her solo career, Paola also contributed to projects such as the band Kayab in Porto Alegre and the supergroup Xanaxou in Rio de Janeiro, where she played roles as a singer, songwriter and percussionist. Her artistic journey is marked by a diverse and engaged approach.
The original album “ONÇA”, released in 2020, marked a crucial moment in Alfamor’s trajectory, consolidating its position as a promising name in the music scene, despite being its debut album. The album featured notable collaborations such as Mateus Aleluia, Mãeana, Bruno Capinan and the Argentine duo Perotá Chingó. Reggae, primarily linked to dub, was already among his influences, also amalgamating tones of pop, Latin music and rock.
The desire to present his project at a music event in 2022 led Alfamor to a casual conversation with Vini Albernaz, which quickly turned into a creative collaboration. Together they explored noise, organic beats, Latin melodies and polyphonic mellotrons, creating a fascinating musical mix.
The album “ONÇA DUB” is now available for pre-save, while the original album can be enjoyed on all major music platforms. This new sonic journey promises to be a remarkable experience for listeners, revealing Alfamor’s constant artistic evolution and daring.
The new album “ONÇA DUB” is a new approach to their original album “ONÇA”. What inspired this transformation and incorporation of dub into the sounds of your previous work?
Dub has always inspired me… the possibility of new mixes, other layers, effects… that interests me a lot. My album ONÇA was made a lot on a band basis, everything there recorded by excellent human hands, little electronic crossing. And I always thought about the possibility of subverting that.
How was the collaboration with music producer Vini Albernaz to bring this renewed look to the album?
Vini was like a divine gift. You know when you think about what you want and just show up? So it was with him. Talking about how I imagined my sound from now on with a dear friend, Liege, she told me that she knew a guy who could fit that same musical desire. And when we finally found it and made it happen, it flowed like a river. We have very similar aesthetic thoughts and it was and is a delight to work with him.
“ONÇA DUB” brings a mix of ancestral and futuristic sounds. Can you tell us more about the sonic journey listeners can look forward to when listening to the album?
This EP incorporated a subtle force with the various beds it composes. Vini was very happy with all his pyre there lol. I feel inside a musical environment, it’s like a movie, difficult to put into words. I hope that everyone dives deep into this trip, I don’t want to create expectations, my wish is that everyone feels this wave!
How do your experiences in visual art, photography, videomaking and point-to-point tattooing influence your music and artistic approach?
They totally influence because being an artist is how I position myself in the world. My music and especially this first album talk about me, my experiences, questions, struggles. A woman on the move, getting to know different cultures, getting to know herself and on the mission of her artistic work. When I create, whatever the platform, the thought is always the same: to release myself and transmit my messages and all these aspects cross and instigate each other in some way.
His career is remarkably multifaceted. How do you balance these different artistic expressions and how do they complement each other?
It’s hard to balance. Especially when you don’t have a safe flow. Because it’s a lot of work to make each one of them rotate. But they complement each other for the same reason of the lack of financial flow when I have to handle everything. So I compose the songs, record the album, do the artwork… There’s a nice place for that and there’s another one which is the harsh reality of still not being able to combine with other artists the way I’d like to.
Her music addresses themes that are intimate to contemporary women. How do you see your music’s role in voicing these issues?
Look, I don’t want to put myself anywhere. I make my songs very unpretentiously in order to free myself and remind myself of some things. But art has this role of mirroring, right? I see myself in many women when I see them, read them, hear them. So I feel honored if my art can play in that place too. I believe that art heals, it heals me every day.
You’ve been involved in projects like the band Kayab and the supergroup Xanaxou. How have these collective experiences shaped your individual artistic journey?
Each in its own way. The Kayab project formed me in the sense of intertwining art and spirituality. There I discovered a purpose in myself, everything I do has this bond. We also explored multi-art there, we held events that crossed countless types of art, it was my school.
At Xanaxou, I found myself in the power of sharing art with other women, talking about it, experiencing pleasures and pains together. It was there that I opened myself up to the world of composition, when my sister Clara Consentino took one of my poems and turned it into a beautiful punk rock. It was there that she opened that key for me, writing melodically, a wave!
On the original album “ONÇA”, you collaborated with experienced names. What inspired you to work with these artists and how did it impact your musical evolution?
It’s shocking even when I think I feel lucky! Each one there inspires me a lot! With all of them, a bridge of affection was built through my other arts, mainly with photography. When I found myself willing to have the courage to make music, I had the audacity to call these pearls to join me! I’m just starting out, I have a lot to learn and these names are definitely in my top inspirations. I feel very honored to be able to evolve through these experiences and exchanges!
You’ve mentioned that reggae, pop, Latin music and rock are influences on your music. How do you fuse these styles together in unique ways to create your own sound?
Mmm, I don’t think there’s even a formula. I am influenced by a lot of things because I traveled a lot and went after that, I am very interested in this research and even though I don’t travel, I do it from wherever I am. We are very blessed to have access to research. Learning expands our thinking, our view of the world… I believe in that and let myself be crossed by what touches my heart and it is what touches me that I try to touch. And both in the original Onça with producer Saulo Duarte and in Onça Dub with Vini Albernaz there is a total synergy of ideas and influences where everything flowed very well and organically we were creating our sound.
The collaboration with Vini Albernaz resulted in an intriguing mix of noises, organic beats, Latin melodies and polyphonic mellotrons. How did that creative process unfold during the making of the album?
As I said in the previous question, the synergy was total. We exchanged a lot of ideas about sound and our energy hit, that was basically it. Then everything flowed like a river (I already said that, right?). Vini was giving me away and I was only more surprised! Tiny pitácos and a very comfortable closure for what we wanted. A delight to work with him! (repeat!) s2
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