Nina Camillo dives into the universe of neo soul with “Bem Te Vi”, her own composition in collaboration with Tiago Frúgoli . With influences from Hiatus Kaiyote and Erykah Badu, the single promises a unique sound journey, rooted in the best of Brazilian music. The launch is accompanied by a music video directed by Pedro Maciel, which uses the metaphor of a broken mirror to explore themes of self-acceptance and confidence.
What were your main musical influences for the creation of “Bem Te Vi”? Like artists like Hiatus Have Kaiyote and Erykah Badu impacted your approach to music?
Hiatus ‘ influence in the chords at the beginning, in the way the song begins and moving towards something more Brazilian in the chorus. Erykah is more about building music in blocks, as if they were samples. The drummer who recorded it (Vitor) even added, without me asking, some percussions because it reminded him of “ Didn’t Tea Know ”.
You mentioned that the song emerged from a spontaneous and very intuitive process. Can you tell us more about this process? How do you usually start creating a new song?
I’ve always loved humming words, things of the moment. I traveled a lot by car to Ubatuba (coming from Campo Grande, around 13 hours of travel) as a child and I sang every little thing that was in the landscape or that came to mind. It has always been natural, so much so that today I maintain it. I generally create a harmony and just let what comes to mind come out. Sometimes I just start with the voice, but it’s more rare.
“Bem Te Vi” carries a message of self-acceptance and confidence. How does this theme connect with your personal experiences and why is it important for you to share this through your art?
This message totally connects with my personal experiences. I come from a very strong context of bullying because of a skin disease I had as a child and this had a huge impact on the way I saw and judged myself. I’ve always been very afraid of the Other’s gaze and (curiously) of looking in the mirror. Music has always been a refuge of mine, so the idea of opening it up to the world was a very difficult process for me. I remember having presentations in contexts where I would just tremble and feel a lump in my throat from so much anxiety.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in pursuing your career in music and how did you overcome it? Are there any particularly rewarding moments you would like to share?
For now, introduce myself. And there wasn’t much of a way, just doing it, and I was able to explore more of these experiences at music college. A rewarding moment that is linked to this was when I had the opportunity to play at the old Bona to do a pocket show. It was exciting to play my original songs with a band and see friends singing along. I left there electrified.
You played an active role in the production of “Bem Te Vi”, including directing the aesthetics and editing the bass. What was this process like for you and what did you learn from it?
I had an active role, but I can’t help but mention Tiago. I knew how I wanted the tracks to sound, but I didn’t know how to make it happen. He knew which players to call and explained everything to me, how basses with different pickups would sound, the possible arrangement choices. Even when there was a disagreement, the final decision was mine and we see this process very much as a continuation of our classes. Tiago was my first piano teacher, so it was almost like a music production class. I was lucky to have a person with an educator’s mind in my life. I didn’t want to take on this role (and singers are never encouraged to take on it) and he really encouraged me to make my own choices, but we are very aligned in terms of taste. We agreed more than we disagreed and it was a very special experience for us, almost a cherry on the cake and a consolidation of friendship after a teacher-student relationship.
The music video takes a very symbolic visual approach, with you singing in front of a broken mirror. How did this idea come about and what does it represent for you?
This happened unintentionally. Our idea with “Bem Te Vi” was to record a visualizer with me without great depth. Pedro (director) and I spent more time thinking about the other two clips (from Vem Pro Céu and Flor Da Pele), but when we arrived at the location we came across this mirror and the idea of recording with it came up, which made everything very special. more special. It was strong to record looking at myself and I believe I wouldn’t have accessed the amount of emotions I accessed if we had made a simple visualizer . You know, it was a bit of fate.
The backing band on “Bem Te Vi” features a talented combination of musicians. What was the process like working with them and how did you arrive at this final arrangement?
The process was totally out of the ordinary, right? The drums, for example, were recorded remotely by Vitor during the pandemic, so I only had a good virtual impression. As for the bass, we recorded it at Noa ‘s house with everyone wearing masks. That day was incredible for me, I had never seen such an experienced instrumentalist create based on one of my compositions, and I could feel that feeling of ecstasy that I mentioned. I left there electrified (laughs). The only musician I was able to record in the studio was Sidmar , the trumpet player on the songs, who was a lord to me. This time, Tiago wasn’t accompanying me and I was apprehensive about the recording, but everything went incredibly well. It was a privilege to work with such talented people and they were essential for the track to be what it is.
After the release of “Bem Te Vi”, what are your plans? Are you working on more new music or do you have other projects in mind?
I have a few things in mind! I’m finishing three more tracks to complete an EP with these releases, and preparing a show for May, which I will soon announce the date of. Furthermore, I’m getting back to some of my compositions to see how to arrange them, if I can take risks with some more electronic elements… I’m excited, if these songs of mine grew the way they did, I have no idea how they’ll turn out. close and that cheers me up.
What advice would you give to emerging artists who are trying to find their voice and path in the music industry?
Let’s be friends and persist together!
How do you hope your audience receives “Bem Te Vi”? Is there a specific message or feeling you hope to evoke in listeners?
I hope that with affection, I want people to be able to feel the embrace that this song is for me.
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