The artist from Ceará, Laya, offers an immersive and sensorial experience in her most recent release, the EP “Dorme Sonha Acorda”. In this small album, the artist deeply explores the cycle of life, diving into the confines of reality. Laya takes her listeners on an immersive journey, awakening their senses and transporting them beyond everyday limits. Through her music, she weaves a narrative that reflects on human existence, evoking deep emotions and provoking reflections on our own journey in this world. The work is available on all music platforms through ybmusic.
Produced in partnership with Ayrton Pessoa and Caio Castelo, the EP features three authorial songs that address the observation of ourselves and the circular nature of reality, reflecting on the spontaneous movement of life. Soon, the immersion proposed by the mix will be expanded with the release of a short film that will transform “Dorme Sonha Acorda” into a visual EP.
Laya is a versatile performer, performing as a singer, songwriter, singing and yoga teacher. With a self-titled solo album released in 2016 and training in Canto Popular, she has a diverse musical trajectory. Born in France and raised in Ceará, Laya moved to São Paulo in 2007 as a member of the band O Jardim das Horas, releasing the album “O Quarto das Cinzas” in 2011. Since then, she has performed at festivals and important stages from Brazil, both with his own compositions and as a performer.
One of the highlights of his career was the show “LAYA recanta FATAL”, presented at the Virada Cultural de São Paulo in 2013 and at the Festival Maloca Dragão in 2014, among other events. Laya also participated in projects such as 3NaMassa and collaborated with Nação Zumbi in 2014. She had the opportunity to pay tribute to renowned artists, such as Caetano Veloso in Trip Transformadores at Auditorio Ibirapuera in 2015 and Adoniran Barbosa in the show Adonirando at Theatro Municipal de São Paulo in 2018. In addition, she recorded episodes of television programs such as “Na Voz Delas” on Canal Bis in 2015 and “Cantoras do Brasil” on Canal Brasil in 2016. Now, with “Dorme Sonha Acorda”, Laya begins a new phase on its trajectory.
Since 1999, ybmusic has played a central role in the renewal of Brazilian music. In addition to rescuing forgotten talents, the label has produced unpublished cult works and stands out for its contribution in the production and licensing of soundtracks for original works, both in feature films and TV series.
How did the idea of exploring the cycle of life and reality in your new EP “Dorme Sonha Acorda” come about? What were your main inspirations?
I am a researcher of life by nature, all art that touches me speaks of life and our existence, studying philosophy is what made me start writing songs, I always seek to know myself and feel better in this mysterious, hard and wonderful reality that we live . I found in the three songs of “Dorme Sonha Acorda” another way of talking about this journey, the cyclical cosmic dance that is life.
The EP has three authorial songs that reflect on the observation of ourselves and the circular reality. How was the writing process for these songs? What were the challenges and rewards in that creative process?
Calma Cabeça is a conversation with myself, a meditation with images of thought and a mantra that is repeated, appeasing the absurdities and issues that seem to have no solution in the world and system we live in. This is the oldest of the three, I composed the melody first (a rare thing) and then came the phrases that are not completed at first and then with more space and breath they are completed, then comes Jai Saraswati, an Indian mantra that salutes the goddess of female composers , poets, writers, who exclaim Victoria Saraswati! Joy of the victory of our time to have peace and create beauty.
Pele Olho Coração is a journey without form, a meditation of observation of the body, of the sensations, what constitutes us and where what is essential for us comes from. It’s a very interesting partnership with my friend Mauricio Tagliari, one of those synchronic magicians in life. He sent me a poem he wrote and when I glanced at it, music started to come on, I tweaked the sequence of sentences, edited the lyrics a little and in 30 minutes I sent him the finished song on a cell phone recording, a fluid creation like water, I remembered of yoga practices and observations of ourselves, acceptance of the turbulent feelings that arrive, the red rage that explodes, the words that sometimes want to confuse, that sometimes bring truth and vision and how we seek to understand all the crossings that we have in the to live.
Há De Se Deliverar was born sweet as it is, lyrics and melody came together, a slow baião with a q of reisado, of voices in an ascending spiral, then my poet friend Thiago Romaro changed a few words in the third stanza and entered the composition with me, a song that invites people to sing along in improvisation, to release their voices in the cure of singing and listening in a group. It has a delicacy that enchants me and I was happy to be able to convey this in the arrangement created with my partners Caio Castelo and Ayrton Pessoa Bob.
Composing for me is always a gift, even when it happens in moments of pain and tears, which is not uncommon, because writing and singing for me are healing tools. The challenge was to record these songs the way I envisioned them, with a space for experimentation and meeting timbres and sound interactions… and then releasing them on the music market. this work for me has been challenging, but thanks to the goddesses good partners arrive to put in the world.
In addition to the music experience, you mentioned that the EP will be turned into a short film to provide visual immersion. Could you tell us a little more about this project and how it complements the sound proposal of “Dorme Sonha Acorda”?
The film/clip was already a wish of mine and thanks to the good meetings, it slowly took shape through many stages of production, a job done by many friendly hands who arrived together to add and expand the poetry. I was living in Ceará where I met old and new art friends who were bridges and portals of creation. We created the script and filmed everything in Ceará, it was shelved for a while while I tried to get funding for public notices for the finalization, I didn’t get a public notice but I decided to edit it independently with a wonderful partner, who had already produced clips from my first solo album, Milena Belt.
You are a plural artist, acting not only as a singer and songwriter, but also as a singing and yoga teacher. How do these different areas of expertise connect in your life and influence your music?
I’ve been studying singing for many years and when I moved to São Paulo in 2007 I started to receive invitations to teach, I faced the challenge out of necessity and over time I learned and really enjoyed it, as they say. In addition to private lessons and free courses, I graduated in popular singing at emesp (São Paulo state music school) and took a conducting course at Etec de Artes, which gave me good tools for teaching and leading groups in the study and vocal performance. My trajectory in Yoga also started early, when I was a dancer at Cia Vatá in Fortaleza, in the study of body arts I started to practice yoga with some good teachers in Ceará until in São Paulo I won a scholarship to practice with Professor Duda Legal, with whom I studied for seven years and he himself began to encourage me to teach, since then I’ve been studying, doing formations and enchanting myself with the ancestral knowledge and the infinite possibilities of observing ourselves and our movement. For me, yoga is art and art is yoga, it is presence, it is an internal ritual that overflows through life and through other beings.
With a diverse musical trajectory and having performed at festivals and important stages in Brazil, what are the most outstanding moments of your career so far? Is there a show, collaboration or project that you consider special or unforgettable?
There are some, the show I did with my band ‘O Quarto das Cinzas’ at the time came to mind, opening for Mutantes at the Abril Pro Rock Festival, Os Mutantes coming back after many years, with the presence of Arnaldo Baptista, it was a moment of cum for a mutant fan. The show Laya recanta Fatal that premiered at Virada Cultural in São Paulo on my 30th birthday, great gift! The Transformers Show trip where I had the opportunity to sing with renowned artists and I always remember the time that Fafá de Belém sent the ball to me with a look at the final song of the show where we sang all together and she naturally conducted with her queenly power. Circus’ 10th anniversary show at the ibirapuera auditorium in SP when I had the opportunity to sing ‘Canto em Any Canto’ with one of the composers Na Ozzetti and Ceumar, wonderful inspired singers. And there’s more…
His experience includes participation in musical projects and collaborations with other renowned artists. How have these collaborations impacted your musical and artistic vision?
In my musical and artistic vision, all good encounters are very impactful, and it transforms being close to a great artist, as well as great teachers.
You had the opportunity to honor renowned artists, such as Caetano Veloso and Adoniran Barbosa, in special presentations. How was that experience and what do these artists represent to you?
Caetano is this whole thing, much, everything, land, the sun on the road, he’s been my teacher of poetry, singing, Brazilianness since I can remember. I came to know Adoniran better already living in São Paulo, but in fact he already lived in me since I was a child and I didn’t even know it, with his unforgettable classic sambas, with the voice and feeling of our people.
Now, with the release of the EP “Dorme Sonha Acorda” and this new phase in your career, what are your plans and expectations for the future? Are there any new projects in mind or any specific direction you’d like to explore artistically?
I’m a survivor in music, I’ve been on this road for a while looking to find myself and establish myself, I’ve already suffered so much that I prefer not to create expectations haha but I hope to find partnerships, both in sound and in the music business, to keep walking one way at a time more pleasant and prosperous. And may the muses always bring inspiration. So that my spirit gains a definite glow and I spread benefits.
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