Camilo Solano teams up with Joseph Chedid in an international musical partnership with ‘Hey Friend!’

Luca Moreira
14 Min Read
Camilo Solano (Daniel Tancler)
Camilo Solano (Daniel Tancler)

Singer, songwriter and comic artist Camilo Solano joins French artist Joseph Chedid in a musical celebration titled “Hey Friend!”. This unusual and international partnership highlights friendship and art as universal languages, demonstrating that music can unite cultures and hearts. Born in São Manuel (SP), Camilo Solano has stood out for integrating music and comics into his career, and now brings Brazilian music to French chanson pop, showing the versatility of his art.

Camilo Solano, renowned for his publications such as “Inspiração – Deixa entra Sol esse porão” and “Desengano”, ventured into music in 2020 and 2021, releasing intimate songs that explore themes of anxiety and emotional exhaustion. With his debut album “Almost Todo Mundo é Assim”, produced by Yuri Queiroga, he established a new phase in his career. Now, with “Hey Friend!”, Solano explores an unprecedented collaboration that promises to conquer new audiences.

Joseph Chedid, an outstanding French singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer, comes from a family of poets and musicians that forms a true artistic clan in France. A decade into his solo career, he recently launched his own label, with “Hey Friend!” being the first release. The track, which will give its name to Chedid’s next album, aims to spread joy, emotions and kindness, reflecting the essence of the musical union between Brazil and France through the voices of Solano and Chedid.

How did the idea of ​​collaborating with Joseph Chedid on “Hey Friend!” And what was the process of composing this song like?

The idea came about during the pandemic. I’m a fan of Joseph and I decided to send him the link to my first EP “Canções Cansadas” which was produced with the encouragement of the Aldir Blanc Law at that time. We weren’t friends, we stayed because of my unpretentious attitude of sending my work to an artist I admire. He responded, liked it, we started exchanging a lot of ideas and I had no idea what would happen. I was just talking to a new virtual friend.

What was Joseph Chedid’s reaction when you first contacted him to talk about your music?

I texted him on Christmas Eve, at the height of Covid. I didn’t have a clear horizon in front of me, no one did, right? For me, it was a way to connect with people I loved and I wanted them to know that. That they inspire me to create. They save me in difficult times. Joseph as soon as he met me, the saint knocked. We understood each other very well. We communicate very easily even though he doesn’t speak Portuguese and neither do I speak French. We speak to each other through art… And a little bit of English too. He was very kind and affectionate.

What was the experience of recording “Hey Friend!” with the Solano and Chedid families being part of the choir?

It was unbelievable. Having Louis Chedid’s voice alongside my father Gerson Solano’s voice was a lovely gift. Joseph sent me the tracks of our parents singing along and it was so beautiful to be able to bring families together through art. And hearing my girlfriend Larissa Sartori singing with Joseph’s wife, Charlene Juarez and also Nach, Joseph’s sister, was beautiful. Too handsome. Joseph really encouraged this, this union of us as one. The lyrics of the song say this, that we understand each other without knowing exactly how or why.

Camilo Solano
Camilo Solano

What are the main musical influences you brought to the collaboration with Joseph Chedid?

I composed this song on the guitar, my instrument of life, alongside the paintbrush. My composition process is very organic and goes where the ear “asks” it to go at that moment. And this request from the ear happens through moments of life, sensations I’m having, if I’m well, if I’m feeling bad, if I’ve eaten a lot, if I’ve eaten little. It’s like that, because every hour, the first note calls for a different one. It’s very abstract, even I don’t understand what I meant here, but my biggest musical influences are Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Gil and The Beatles. That’s to sum it up. Because I’m crazy about Lenin, too, for example. I’m in love with Lula Queiroga’s poetry, by Rita Lee. I tried to stay true to myself in this song and when I wrote it, I thought it sounded like Joseph and I sent it to him, who immediately fell in love with it and we started playing with it.

How do you balance your career as a comic artist with that of a musician, and how do these two arts complement each other in your life?

I’ve been making comics professionally for over ten years, but I’ve been drawing and composing music since I was very young, the first song I remember liking was when I was 13 years old. Music and drawing have always been things that have stuck with me. When it came to the entrance exam, I took UNESP and passed in Graphic Design, so my life took the direction of illustration with a little more intensity at that moment, but even at that time, I played at republic parties in Bauru with the band I had in season. I’ve always been in that balance. But there was a moment when I realized that I needed to highlight this side of music more to the public, that’s when I started to take my musical career seriously. I’m eager and I’m producing all the time. So for me, for now, it’s okay. I’m going to launch a new comic book this year through a major publisher and I’m going to launch a musical album through the Caiana Produções label.

Can you tell us more about the production of your debut album “Almost Todo Mundo é Assim” and the collaboration with Yuri Queiroga?

I met Yuri at a music workshop at SESC Vila Mariana in 2020. It was in February of that year, he went to give this workshop and make a presentation alongside Pedro Luís, from PLAP. I’m a big fan of Pedro Luís and the Wall and I still didn’t know Yuri. And while watching this workshop I fell more and more in love with the sound that Yuri created. He is the most musical person I know. And I also connected with his personality, he’s a fantastic guy and very creative. We became friends that day. And we talked from time to time. At the end of the pandemic, we resumed contact about a project that he invited me to collaborate on and that will take more time to take shape and in the meantime, our friendship became closer. I showed him my songs and asked him to produce me. I hadn’t even finished proposing this and he already accepted. The album is really beautiful, I’m very proud of it. There will be a sensational special participation and the Mix and Master is being done by Renato Cortez.

What were the biggest challenges and biggest surprises when working on your first international musical partnership?

My first international musical partnership is also my first musical partnership itself. I had never made music with anyone else. It’s a different process that I really wanted to try. I always wonder how Ivan Lins and Vitor Martins work, what Milton Nascimento was like with Fernando Brant… I really wanted to do this other way of making music. But I had never had that “connection”. I feel like it’s something like that. It has to be this connection, as it has happened at one time or another with other Brazilian artists trying to make music, but it’s not as simple as I imagined. With Joseph it was very easy. We really have a connection. I do not know how to explain. I have a new composition that I made with a great friend and great musician from the young Brazilian scene, but I can’t talk about it yet.

How do you see the intersection between Brazilian music and French chanson pop in your collaboration with Joseph Chedid?

I really like this intersection because, just like in comics, I always had a lot of difficulty knowing which “shelf” to put myself on. What kind of story do I tell? What kind of music do I make? At this moment I feel very close to Lenine, Lula Queiroga, Yuri Queiroga, Ylana… All these artists who make music and don’t have a specific label. MPB? AND! But it isn’t either. Pop? AND. I think it is, but it isn’t either. It’s great to be able to try to be many and diverse. The reality is that everyone is like this, or rather, Almost Everyone is Like This.

Do you have plans for future musical collaborations, whether with Brazilian or international artists?

I have! Yes! I want very much. With Joseph, this bridge was created that unites us in this friendship through art that, if everything goes well and life goes this way, we will do more. “The bridge is not made of iron, it is not made of concrete, it is not made of cement, the bridge is as far as my thoughts go! Point wherever you want” I want to make music with more people. I want to share the pleasure of creating, of the magic of create with more artists. Enjoying: Chico Buarque, call me? Gilberto Gil, give me a Zap? Tulipa Ruiz, send me a letter and I’ll be happy! says Caê.

How did your experience as a comic artist influence the music video and comic strip for “Desculpa o Áudio”?

Excuse the Audio was the first job that I had the honor and pleasure of working with Josi Herculano in the Management of my career. And we are still working on new projects together and my album will be released on her label which is Caiana Produções, which comes out in partnership with YB.

And we spent a whole year planning this, what this transition would be like, what I wanted to say with everything I had in mind with this song and how I would do it. Josi changed my life after she entered it. She makes the ride happen, points out mistakes and tells me everything she thinks and has experience. She is incredible and I am so grateful to have her by my side on this musical and artistic journey in general. And we studied the best paths and making a clip with animation that complements a comic of the same name, it seemed like something very interesting to invest in, and ended up becoming a different Press Kit than usual. I launched it at Comic Con Experience in 2023 and it has had great repercussions ever since.

Follow Camilo Solano on Instagram

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