“Coisa Nossa”, the debut album by the duo João Mantuano and RAYA , was released on December 6th by the Toca Discos label. More than just a title, the name reflects the essence of the project: the intimacy of the compositions created by the two and the vastness of the references that cross musical borders, mixing Brazilian and international influences. With 11 tracks, the album combines intimate guitars, careful arrangements and a sound that dialogues with names like Novos Baianos and Simon & Garfunkel, marking the beginning of a partnership that has already yielded around 40 songs.
The album “Coisa Nossa” was born from a chance encounter that quickly turned into something much bigger. How would you describe the moment you realized you weren’t just creating a single, but building a lasting artistic partnership?
Both of us, with our solo careers, were already on the Toca Discos label. Felipe Rodarte suggested that we meet to make a song together, with the intention of starting a movement where the new music scene could exchange more. From there, we met and made our first song. We liked the result so much that we decided to do more, since we both take great pleasure in creating. Before we knew it, we already had a bunch of songs. We showed this compilation to Felipe and Constança, who were surprised and surprised us too when they said that what we actually had was a project and an album. We went about the exchange in such an unpretentious way that perhaps we only realized it at that moment. I think that also helped things flow without pressure, without demands, only with the positive side that a creative process can have. Today, we have composed around 40 songs together.
The idea behind “Coisa Nossa” reflects both the intimacy of creation and the vast Brazilian cultural territory. How was the process of balancing these dimensions in a single project?
We really like the symbolism of these two meanings. The intimacy of creation has to do with our process, our encounter, the construction of it. This thing of a relationship between two people – whatever it may be – that only these two people have the dimension and access to. The other meaning has to do with the research we set out to do in relation to Brazilian popular music, to traditional music, mixing references that we have in common from the past to build a future and, consequently, the identity and authenticity of our project. I think the first meaning delves deep into who we are. It delves into our intimacy. The second, on the other hand, shows why we are together, where we want to be. But both say a bit about where we came from. And we wanted to bring these two meanings to the margins.
You explored a variety of sounds on the album, such as the Brazilian style of Novos Baianos and elements of American folk. What was the biggest challenge in incorporating these very different influences without losing your essence?
We look for what both languages have in common. In any case, popular language speaks to each other and the subjects, wordplay and poetry are not so different, music is harmonious in its nature. The mixture is the very DNA of Brazilian popular music. It was not very far from us.
The decision to tune the instruments to 432 Hz to create a more harmonic experience is fascinating. How did this choice impact the creative process and the emotional connection to the songs?
The 432 tuning is a little lower than the conventional one, which alleviates expectations of tension. The intention is to provide us with a more contemplative perception of the songs, avoiding the chaos involved.
The album’s lyrics seem to carry a strong connection with nature and themes of freedom and contemplation. What inspired you to bring these images and messages to the songs?
We seek poetic depth, yet simple and popular; we believe that depth lies in inevitable doubts and fatalities. We believe that these are themes that are common to everyone, or at least to those who are open to feeling them, even though the world leaves us numb to so many things these days. It is the possibility of being moved by a view, by the moon, by the sunset. Bringing to the surface the purest and most complex emotions. Reality is a great spectacle.
In “Coisa Nossa”, there are songs that you perform alone, such as “Arrebol” and “Rouxinol”. How did you decide which stories and feelings would be expressed individually and which would be told together?
I think this choice was made naturally and spontaneously. I don’t know if there was an exact moment when we decided what would be done by whom. So much so that both songs were written by us. But I think that in the end, intuition has some unconscious reason because they reflect our individuality a lot. Both have a lot of contemplation, something we have in common, they both lean towards folk, but we think that energetically one connects more with one than the other.
With so many incredible collaborations on the album, from producers to talented musicians, each encounter seems to have added something unique to the project. What moment or collaboration surprised you the most during the making of the album?
There are three emblematic moments in this process. Having Marcos Suzano recording with us was a gift. In addition to being a very upbeat guy, he brought a layer of percussive personality that gave the project a face that we hadn’t been able to visualize before. The second moment was having the experience with Renato Cipriano, in his studio in Belo Horizonte, where we were able to understand a little more about his study of frequencies and experience it in our bodies. And the third moment was receiving the album mixed by Alvaro Alencar. That was very impactful because I don’t think we had ever heard a sound result as impressive as the one he created.
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