For Fabiano Do Nacimento, everything seems to be linked to music. In his home studio in Los Angeles, even the chessboard that lies on the floor next to the instruments and electronic equipment is made of guitar wood. A good friend and guitar maker gifted it to him, he says.
On "Lendas," the guitarist enters into an instrumental dialogue with Arthur Verocai and his string quartet. He worked on the album with Brazilian composer and producer Vittor Santos. In 2022 Do Nascimento released the record "Rio Bonito," in 2021 "Ykytu", and in 2020 "Prelúdio". And now "Lendas" - in English: "Legends" - has been released. But resting on his laurels is not something that suits the Brazilian, who has been a musician all his life. In the interview, he explains how he keeps finding new ideas and why he now feels at home everywhere.
What I first noticed about "Lendas" was the interaction between you, the orchestra and the strings. How did this collaboration come into place? Fabiano Do Nascimento: I've always wanted to do something with guitar and strings. In fact, we are already finishing Lendas II. Vittor Santos is a prolific arranger and composer. He's in Rio. He has worked with everyone in Brazil. Every musician that is known there, they all know him.
What makes working with him special? His sensibility and work ethic. He's very fast also. I met him back in 2017. We worked on a project for a mutual friend, Carioca Freitas. I've played with Carioca often, so he invited me to play guitar on the album he was working on with Vittor Santos, also with strings. Since then, we've been in touch and became friends.
"The way I play, I tend to play very understatedly, and softly. That's my vibe. He liked that. " (Fabiano do Nascimento)
I get what you mean with subtle, but also feel like songs have the potential to evoke emotions. Strong, melancholic, and uplifting at the same time. Which emotions dominated when you were writing your guitar pieces? Many things I do have that feel. It just comes through; I don't think too much. Writing music for me comes in many different forms. My antennas pick up whatever is happening. In my previous album, the solo album " Ykytu", there is a song - also called "Ykytu", that was inspired by a movie I watched.
You draw from different sources, and also from both the present and the past. I was reading about "Lendas" on your webpage. There, it states: "Fabiano do Nascimento recalls places that no longer exist". Could you specify that? There are many places that I traveled to, for example in the Amazon, that have left an impression on me. I feel like time has changed them. If I would go back to that place now, it would be already different. The place could also only exist in my mind. You said the music evokes emotion. To me, it felt like it evokes imagery, memories. It takes you on a journey. Sometimes you listen to music and just start drifting off in your mind.
Do you play both on a six and seven-string guitar? Mainly on a seven-string. But I also play a ten-string on the album. And a soprano guitar. The song "Rio" on "Lendas" was played on a ten-string, and also the last song "Reflections".
When is "Lendas II" coming out? I hope sooner than later. From the moment of starting a project, recording until all the way through to release, that's a process. But I don't want it to take too long. Sometimes you can't rush. Some things just have their own time. But I'm trying for the time frame to be shorter and shorter
Why? I just feel like life is short. As long as we are alive and making the music, the music is alive. I do not want to wait for years to release just one album. If my pace is faster now, I want to honor that and release at that pace.