Name: Fabiano Do Nascimento
Nationality: Brazilian
Occupation: Guitarist, composer
Current release: Fabiano Do Nascimento's Das Nuvens is out July 21st 2023 via Leaving.
Recommendations: "Ondas (Nos olhos de Petrolina)" from the album Saudades by Naná Vasconcelos.

If you enjoyed this Fabiano Do Nascimento interview and would like to stay up to date with his  music, visit his official homepage. He is also on Instagram.



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

Sure, if it feels natural and authentic. It allows me to relax and sometimes see visuals (shapes, colors, go places in my mind …), feel things.

What were your very first steps in music like - and how do you rate gains made through experience versus the naiveté of those first steps?

I’m not sure. I don’t really think about this.

According to scientific studies, we make our deepest and most incisive musical experiences between the ages of 13-16. What did music meant to you at that age and what’s changed since then?

I think this is true. Fortunately I got to immerse myself deeply at age 13-15 when I took a break from school to spend 1 full year living with my uncle in Rio de Janeiro.

All I did was play guitar, listen to music a lot, practice 6-8 hours a day. The rest of the time I would play outside with kids in the neighborhood. I think that is my musical foundation.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools and how have they shaped your perspective on music?

Listening a lot, experiencing life, being in nature, learning to trust my intuition. Which all took their time.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and what motivates you to create?

I personally like music that is subtle, not super loud, harmonically interesting, peaceful, and clear.

I hope that people can also appreciate these things when they hear it.

Paul Simon said “the way that I listen to my own records is not for the chords or the lyrics - my first impression is of the overall sound.” What's your own take on that and how would you define your personal sound?

I agree and I think my personal sound is Kawaii, Fofo and Safado. ("adorable," "cute," and  "naughty.")

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds? In how far would you describe them as “musical”?

Yes I believe sound can affect us profoundly. I’ve had plenty of moving experiences in nature listening to birds, insects, water, wind..

Human made music can also feel this way.

From very deep/high/loud/quiet sounds to very long/short/simple/complex compositions - are there extremes in music you feel drawn to and what response do they elicit?

I like it all, but not too loud.

From symphonies and traditional verse/chorus-songs to linear techno tracks and free jazz, there are myriads ways to structure a piece of music. Which approaches work best for you – and why?

I truly don’t know.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of one of your pieces, live performances or albums that's particularly dear to you, please?

It usually starts with something small, picking up the guitar, letting time pass and my mind and hands wander.

Things start happening, sometimes I like it. Then I nurture those things and it starts to evolve, grow, take shapes, it can also change completely later.

But it is usually a slow and steady process. It matures with time. The more I play it, the more life it takes.

Sometimes, science and art converge in unexpected ways. Do you conduct “experiments” or make use of scientific insights when you're making music?

No.

How does the way you make music reflect the way you live your life? Can we learn lessons about life by understanding music on a deeper level?

For sure. I think, ideally the way we live and the way we create are in alignment and integrity is best. But everyone is a bit different I guess.

Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Yes, I think it is inherently different. Music is this invisible thing that we (musicians) dedicate our lives to ... and the effect can last forever and literally change lives.

I do love a great cup of coffee though, maybe just not as much as music. But still, I think they are different.

Every time I listen to "Albedo 0.39" by Vangelis, I choke up. But the lyrics are made up of nothing but numbers and values. Do you, too, have a song or piece of music that affects you in a way that you can't explain?

Hermeto Pascoal’s music has always somehow made the most sense to me even when I was a 10 year old kid. It always made me super happy and no one around me understood why I liked that music.



If you could make a wish for the future – what are developments in music you would like to see and hear?

It seems these days there is always some faster, more technical, flashy player out there which is cool. But that is kind of like a new model of iPhone / computer. There will always be one with more capacity, speed, memory, prettier, etc …

My wish is that music becomes less about that and more about authenticity, good compositions, embracing our differences, culture, art, preserving traditions and actual beautiful interesting evolving music.