One of the classics of Brazilian music of the last 30 years, “Sereia”, by Lulu Santos, gets a closer look at the new MPB by singer from São Paulo, Debora Costa. The track anticipates the artist’s album, arrives on streaming platforms and with a clip.
Débora has been singing and playing the guitar since she was 14. After a period away from music, she returned to action in 2018, when she produced a concert in tribute to Madonna, singing and performing at the head of the group Like a Band. During the pandemic, she did several thematic lives singing MPB and pop rock.
Currently, Débora Costa is preparing the finalization of her debut album, which will feature “Sereia” and authorial singles that she recently released-such as “Resistir”, “Um Romance” and “Eu Não Sei Dizer Não”. Check out the interview!
With more than 30 years since its original release, you have just released a new version of “Sereia”, a hit by Lulu Santos, however, in a style closer to the new MPB. What drew your attention to working on this song?
During the pandemic, I wanted to try playing the ukulele, a Hawaiian instrument, and I immediately remembered this song. Then I experimented with the tones that matched my voice and that, at the same time, were simple to play on this instrument, which was still new to me. This song enchants me because it promotes a dive into this mermaid universe, with an engaging melody and poetic lyrics that bring elements from nature, such as the sea, the sun, the waves, transporting you to a beach setting. And I also think it’s beautiful how the lyrics talk about illusion, playing with the idea of mirage, delirium and the mermaid itself, which is a symbol of enchantment and illusion.
This release ended up serving as an anticipation for his new album that will be released soon. How are your expectations and preparation for your arrival?
I am very happy to release my first album, which in addition to Sereia, brings 9 other songs of my own composition. I’ve been preparing this work since 2021 together with music producer Vivi Rocha. I’m in the process of publicizing the release, which will take place on March 10th, and I’m also preparing a show with this repertoire on March 28th, at Teatro da Rotina.
About being able to bring this new look, we know that just like in technology, three decades is a great advance in the music industry. How was the process of bringing “Mermaid” to current styles and in your opinion, can we always innovate with successes?
It’s very challenging to re-dress a classic in a way that keeps the essence of the music as well. Vivi Rocha and I thought about keeping the beach atmosphere, with guitar and percussion, but bringing new elements, such as the ukulele (Hawaiian string instrument), the pocket piano (a kind of synthesizer with a keyboard), and the Qchord (an instrument electronic music with keys that produce different sound effects). Another key point in the arrangement are the vocals, which open the track and are present throughout the entire song, representing the siren song.
Produced during the pandemic, this version was initially made only with a voice accompanied by the ukulele. With social isolation happening and consequently the demand for entertainment increasing, do you believe that these two years have been a fertile period for new creations?
For me, it was very fertile, because it was the moment when I took more risks and threw myself into music, making videos, lives and starting to compose. I think the pandemic gave me a sense of urgency to do everything I was afraid of or insecure about and ended up putting off or letting go. I think isolation also helped me to create more because it was a phase where I could connect more with myself, have moments of silence and more time to process ideas and emotions without so much external interference.
In addition to you, other great talents joined the project, such as producer Vivi Rocha. How was your exchange during the birth of this new version?
In addition to the album’s music producer, Vivi Rocha is also my vocal coach. Every week we work on vocal technique and also interpretation, so we had a lot of exchanges throughout the process about the musical arrangement and voices. In the case of Sereia, Vivi heard my voice and ukulele version and created the arrangement on top, including other instruments and also the voice lines. We talked a lot about the importance of the role of the ukulele and the voices, in order to maintain this idea from the initial version, but with new elements that reinforced this beachy, light and romantic “vibe”.
In addition to the entire context of the song, the instrumental also took an important part of the track, one of them being the use of guitar to promote more Hawaiian timbres. How was the process of choosing this instrument and how would you define the style of this music?
The guitar ended up entering the song on the day of recording. The initial idea was that the pocket piano and the Qchord would bring these Hawaiian timbres, but on the day of recording, Habacuque Lima, owner of the Trampolim studio and who mixed the track, suggested that we record on the guitar the line originally made on the bass by the musician Bruno Smaldino . It was so cool that Vivi decided to include it in the final version.
Despite the success he has had today, his history in music dates back to his youth, at the age of 14, when he started playing the guitar and singing. Do you remember how music came into her life and how would you rate her participation in who you are today?
I started studying singing and guitar at the age of 14, but I believe that my relationship with music started earlier, because I took dance classes (ballet, jazz, tap) from 3 to 17 years old. So I’ve always been involved with art, but it was in my teens that I delved deeper into music. I was first interested in singing, but soon felt the need to play an instrument. It was with the guitar that I started to have more contact with MPB and bossa nova. During this phase, I did a bit of everything: I played in pop rock repertoire bands, studied and fell in love with percussion, played voice and guitar in bars and joined choir groups.
Celebrating your return after a hiatus, in 2018, you returned little by little with a concert in honor of the singer Madonna, playing and singing alongside the group Like a Band. What was it like to participate in this project?
I had the idea of putting together the band Like A Band after going to a party in honor of the singer in New York: the Madonnathon, something like “Madonna Marathon”, which fans organize every year on the week of her birthday. There, there was a band that played their songs with a more rock feel. That enchanted me, and I wanted to do something similar here in Brazil. So in 2018, when Madonna turned 60, I thought it would be the perfect occasion to bring this project to life. I called some friends who also liked the singer’s repertoire and we did some shows playing Madonna’s songs in a guitar, bass and drums formation and it was incredible. Much is said about the importance of Madonna for her look, dance, breaking paradigms, behavior, but her composer side and the value of her songs is little highlighted. It was amazing to delve into her work and discover so much richness in her lyrics and harmonies.
In addition to this new version of Lulu Santos, this new album will feature the authorial singles “Resistir”, “Um Romance” and “Eu Não Sei Dizer Não”. How do your creative processes usually work and what do you consider to be the vital elements that cannot be missing from your music?
I don’t have a standard creative process, each song came out differently. Most of the time it comes from playing with the guitar, but I’ve made songs based on the lyrics or even just singing. Most of them are inspired by something I lived or felt, but I’ve also created lyrics based on stories I didn’t live. Of the vital elements, I think the songs I make or enjoy singing are about love and female empowerment. That which inspires and gives strength.
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