São Paulo's Zé Nigro Finds Wisdom in Nature's Songs

Zé Nigro's sophomore album, Silêncio, released last October, is an introspective, sometimes funky, other times psychedelic, ride through the mind of this music producer and multi-instrumentalist from São Paulo, Brazil. Upon first listening, it’ll seem like the album concludes just as you get into Zé’s groove. This is precisely what had me coming back for more—it never felt like I burned out on the album's mysterious attraction. I would return once more to immerse myself in the warmth of the production and the inner reflection that Silêncio alludes to in its poetic imagery.

With São Paulo as the backdrop, this album provides a clear window into the diverse influences of the vibrant and dynamic city. Listen closely, and you'll hear various genres and styles infiltrate, define, and sometimes blur what is generally considered traditional Brazilian music.

This historical and cultural richness spills into much of Zé Nigro's thirty-plus year career, creating music with and for many well-known independent Brazilian artists and bands, such as Glue Trip, Curumin, and Francisco, el Hombre. This new album can be considered a continuation of his debut album, Apöcalip Së, including some reinterpretations and unreleased material from this earlier period. It's an exquisite production that opens with beautiful orchestral magic by the maestro and legend Arthur Verocai. Other featured artists on the album include Saulo Duarte, Souto MC, and Russo Passapusso.

Taking an Internal Breath

Miguel Bustamante: To fully understand Silêncio, it was important for me to also listen to your previous album, Apöcalip Së, which contains four original versions of songs also included in this latest release. Did you envision this connection (or continuation) before you began working on Silêncio? Why did you choose to rework songs from your first album?

Zé Nigro: It was all unexpected. The first album was entirely built during the social isolation period of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was a very individual process. When things improved, I started to play the songs at shows, which generated other arrangements and versions. There was a natural reinterpretation of the songs. The first one I re-recorded was "Gorjeios" with Maestro Verocai. At the same time, I wanted to finish everything I had on my hard drive to close a phase that still came from the first album. So I finished the unreleased "Trincheira" and the version of Bob Marley's "Reaction." I visualized the album when I realized there was a connection between the songs. It seemed like everything was fitting together spontaneously, and for me, it made sense as a continuation of the first album.

Miguel: In the press release, you say, “I want to propose listening to silence, to the subtleties hidden in existence." You also said that this album is about being open, absorbing the outside, and feeling the power of nature, in contrast to Apöcalip Së, which you understood more as an investigative journey from the inside out. Can you speak on these two important concepts that seem intertwined into all of the songs on Silêncio?

Zé: My first album was a journey from the inside out, heavily inspired by the pandemic. After the reopening, I felt this need to listen more than to speak. I adopted a social stance of paying more attention to the subtleties, in contrast to our chaotic world. They are complementary in message; one does not exist without the other. It's also no use being personally resolved if you don't contribute to society, fighting against the injustices and prejudices in the world. It's about taking an internal breath to have strength and knowing how to be loving and compassionate towards people and nature.

Miguel: Once "Gorjeios" opens up fully, it has this carnivalesque feel, probably because of the lead organ sound. It depicts that I'm entering a world of wonder, magic, and many possibilities. Is this something you had in mind when selecting it as the first song on the album? What elements of the original version made you want to add a lush, new arrangement by the legendary Arthur Verocai?

Zé: I think you felt this magic due to the greatness of the music. I believe it is a sum that comes from the composition, which has many movements as if it were a classical piece, in conjunction with string instruments mixed with synthesizers, combined with the pulse of the bass and drums. In the sound, I sought to portray the psychedelic music from Minas Gerais in the '70s. It sounds like a futuristic Brazilian psychedelic song. All of this inspired me to invite maestro Arthur Verocai to arrange and reinforce the message that speaks of the greatness of nature and its increasing destruction by humans. It could only be the album’s first track, a more attentive listening that calls for calm and attention in contrast to the speed of modern times.

Miguel: I hear similarities between Verocai’s production style, which encompasses many genres and sometimes no genre, and your work as a producer on Silêncio and productions for other artists. Is this accurate? Do you focus on genre when working on music?

Zé: I don't follow just one genre; I enjoy mixing styles and decades. This creatively provokes me and can be perceived when listening to the album, as each track has its own sound. Without a doubt, Verocai is a great inspiration because of the freedom he has in his music. When I asked him if he liked the song, he replied that he felt a similarity with his productions. It was a great honor to hear that from him.

From the Soul, Not the Hands

Miguel: You previously worked as a producer with Russo Passapusso, one of the featured artists on Silêncio. Are there connections to the other featured artists on the album?

Zé: I already worked on side projects with each feature. With Russo, I produced the two albums of his solo career, and the song that he sang is of his authorship. I also produced Saulo Duarte, and "Trincheira" is written by us. Fernanda Broggi was already singing "Calor" in a band we are part of. I hadn't worked directly with Arthur Verocai and Souto MC before, but I knew that each of them was perfect for the songs they were featured in.

Miguel: I listened to many of your past productions and noticed a thickness of sound. The tones chosen have an earthiness and a warmth (without being muddy) that seem to bring everything together. What choices did you make in the production process to create this vibe? Did you use any particular type of gear, analog or digital, that influenced this vibe?

Zé: Most of my productions are made in my studio, Estúdio Navegantes. I have been working with vintage analog equipment since 2010, which creates that warmth. I don't use virtual instruments to generate sounds, so I have analog instruments from the '70s and '80s, the golden age of analog equipment, giving unity to my productions.

One of the most important pieces of gear in my studio is an Altec 1220, a ten-channel analog mixing console. It has a magical color from the ‘70s. I use it to record and mix. It has a nice spring reverb and limiter. It’s a mono console, but it has a great personality! For example, you can hear the Altec reverb and limiter when you listen to the drums on "Gorjeios."

A selection of Zé Nigro's studio gear via SoundBetter

Miguel: Some of the songs on Silêncio also suggest that they were inspired by discovering an interesting sound in an instrument (maybe a synth, a sample, or even a guitar), which then gave life to the fully formed songs we hear on the album. Did this ever occur during the production of any of the songs?

Zé: Exactly, there is no rule. When this happens, one instrument often becomes the main focus in the arrangement and mixing. It can even be an effect that gives this characteristic, but it's a production style that I like. However, songs have also started on one instrument and sound better on another, like "Gorjeios," which I made with guitar and voice. It’s a song that works better on the piano than on the acoustic guitar. The best part is when the song comes to your mind, and you transpose it to the instruments; that way, it comes from the soul, not the hands.

Miguel: Can you speak about your preferred approach to producing your own songs? What is your instrument of choice to begin working with? Is it a challenge to balance being the writer, the artist, the producer, and the engineer?

Zé: I don't think much about a specific sequence when starting a production. It can come from a theme, a jam session, sound research, or some study mood. Sometimes, it comes out of nowhere; just by playing an instrument, an idea emerges, and I build the music. It could be that I'm by a waterfall, and a melody comes to mind, but I think the functions work together. I've always worked as a music producer, and also being the artist requires other layers of decisions. The psychological aspect weighs heavily at that moment.

During the album’s production, I felt confused between being the artist and the producer at certain stages, especially the final ones. There comes a moment when it's essential to collaborate with someone you trust. That's how it was with Dustan Gallas, who came in when it was already difficult to make so many decisions about many details and repertoire. He helped me a lot to maintain my sanity.

Miguel: There is an emphasis on your vocal production, especially the use of vocal effects that create a special microcosm that the music then augments. Additionally, you've said that you see singing as a long experiment in self-knowledge. Can you elaborate on your approach to main vocal and background vocal arrangement and production?

Zé: Singing is an exercise of great dedication; you enter into the song, and the meaning of the words reflects in your soul. You need to believe in what you are singing for the message to come through with full force. As far as the sound effects and the sound of the voices, this will change from case to case. I don't have a formula, but I experimented with which combination of microphones might work best in each situation. Sometimes, I have processed the voice through a guitar amplifier to achieve a more distorted sound or through a tape machine to make it sound older. I also like to use vintage effects to add more depth to the voice. The backing vocals can be equalized and treated as if they were synthesizers, which sounds cool, too, as I used in "Trincheira."

The Brazilian Accent

Miguel: How does your hometown, São Paulo, with its rich cultural and musical history, influence your production choices and sonic palette on Silêncio?

Zé: São Paulo, like the big cities of the world, has in its diversity the cultural richness that inspires me a lot. You can hear in my album that there isn't the most traditional Brazilian music, but the Brazilian accent presents itself, though it's not obvious. I think this is a reflection of the city that absorbs all expressions. My music is more 'world music;' it has all kinds of influences, reflecting the city where I was born.

Miguel: Many of the themes elude the literal and instead come closer to feelings, experiences, and places that are hard to describe. What are you trying to evoke with these intangible lyrics? Where are you trying to take the listener?

Zé: There are many images in the lyrics; sometimes, they are not so literal but rather poetic. Overall, the focus is on self-knowledge and respect for nature, as seen in the songs "Gorjeios," "Jararaca Snake," and "Trincheira." On the other hand, "Calor" and "Nem um Pio" talk about relationships, with "Calor" being more sensual and "Nem um Pio'"addressing a crisis in relationships. I worked with the poets Eveline Sin, Anna Zêppa, and Saulo Duarte, all great lyricists.

Miguel: Can you share details about your process of composing the lyrics? Do the lyrics come before the music, or vice versa?

Zé: Each case is unique. Sometimes, the song comes from the chorus, like "Jararaca Snake" and "Trincheira." The other songs were born from an existent instrumental part, like "Calor" and "Gorjeios."

"Gorjeios" has a good story. It was born from a question: What do the birds talk about when they sing? Is it about us? About themselves? About extinction? About God? I had this thought when I was on vacation in Bahia and woke up every day at 4:00 AM to listen to the sounds of many birds. I asked the poet Eveline Sin to write about this idea. That's how "Gorjeios" was born.

Miguel: Out of Bob Marley’s extensive catalog, what is it about "Reaction" that merited a cover on your latest release?

Zé: I have always liked the B-side of an album, the hidden tracks of an artist, and "Reaction" is one of those. It played on my tape deck during my youth, and I loved the message and the flow of the backing vocals. One day, I decided to make a more electronic version that would be deconstructed reggae while retaining the song’s original vocal structure.

Miguel: The “Jararaca Snake" remix, even though the lovely Céu is not featured in this version (she was featured on the original version, which appeared on his debut album), feels more polished and cleaner in the delivery. What are the changes to this remix that made you want to include it on the album? Can you also talk about the importance of the Jararaca snake in Brazilian culture and folklore and why it appears in this song?

Zé: The snake is an animal that represents transformation, wisdom, healing, and renewal. The fact that it sheds its skin and leaves it behind inspires us in the movement of spiritual elevation. I wrote this chorus while walking in the jungle of Chapada Diamantina in Bahia and came across a Jararaca. Its movements and beauty impressed me while knowing it carried a deadly poison. In the song, the poison is the path to enlightenment and wisdom because when the snake bites a person, they can see into other dimensions. It is also related to the indigenous culture of Ayahuasca, where after it is consumed, other dimensions are reached, and the hidden is revealed.

This remix was produced by Samuel Fraga, AKA SAME-U. He came up with this idea, and I liked the more futuristic sound. For me, the theme of the lyrics of "Jararaca Snake" opens up space for different perceptions. I liked the sound of the remix and the voice with a vocoder. I thought it gave a futuristic feel to the song and a positive conclusion to the album.

Zé Nigro's Silêncio is out now on Nublu Records. You can purchase the album from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice. Follow Zé Nigro on Instagram and YouTube.

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