André de Brito Music and Life

The singer, musician and songwriter Andre de Brito was born in Lisbon, Portugal though, the artist prefers to call himself a ‘citizen of the world’. “I am the least patriotic person in the world,” he adds. His journey in music began when he was five years old but taking piano classes. “In that time I was too dumb and I quit piano lessons,” he comments.

Brito tells us that during his teenage years he used to practice guitar a lot, sometimes up to twelve hours per day; nowadays he divides his times on singing and composing. He chose the guitar because of its portability; he could bring it everywhere easily. His parents were his greater supporters; they always paid his instruments, music classes, and encouraged him to carry on with his projects.
   

About the difficulties in the beginning of his career the artist says it was complicated to find people to play with and venues to perform and he argues it is still a struggle. Brito plays guitar, piano, bass guitar and he also ventures himself on drums, percussion and saxophone. On his music path he took classes in several music schools. “Two important teachers on my music trajectory were: João Charepe, who opened my mind up to the different vocal techniques; and Pedro Madaleno in terms of music composition and theory,” he emphasizes.

Brito comments he usually listen to diverse music genres. “Some musicians may influence me in terms of vocal expression but not in composition field; I would say in terms of vocals some of my references are Mike Patton, Freddie Mercury, Sinatra,” he adds. About music composition he says he is currently attracted to a mix of pop and funk style like Prince, Michael Jackson and James Brown, among others. “I’m inclined to enjoy so different things, from Pat Metheny to Nine Inch Nails, from Bach to Bjork,” he points out.

His first performance was in Almeda, his hometown in Portugal; he states he cannot remember the place's name because it was a long time ago; he received no money from this gig. Although the performance went on pretty good he was nervous and excited on the stage.

In addition to singing and playing different musical instruments, Brito is also songwriter and composer. He started writing music when I was around fifteen to sixteen years old. “I have written music from pop to rock up classical music, and other genres; I am not a religious person but I believe music comes from our spiritual side, like an empty box in our brain where creativity flows from nothing,” he reveals.

Brito says his writing process is quite diverse: he can pick the guitar up or sit down on the piano, and just come up with some musical ideas and then move forward or he may start with the lyrics and the vocal melody. “There are times as well as the entire song shows up in my head with vocal melodies and instruments included; walking seems to have a creative effect in me as well; I get musical ideas on the most bizarre moments as well,” he comments.

He tells us his writing process is to try to translate the musical ideas on his head into a physical product; this could start by writing the chord progression or part of lyrics but he also works differently like for instance by creating a beat on a computer and record his vocals directly to see where his creativity flows and what comes out. “Other peculiar stuff I do is to watch movies while composing particularly lyrics; sometimes I use something an actor said or a word or phrase triggers something inside me,” he describes.

Brito have collaborated with the singer Melanie Spencer which resulted on the music project called MEL, a pop soul project that started in 2010. Two of their songs are available on YouTube: Crazy, and Shine. “These songs are from our second album called ‘New Soul’ released in 2014,” he adds. Brito tells us he generally doesn’t like the songs he composes; however, there is a ballad called ‘I Can’t Say Goodbye’ written by him that he really appreciates.

   

He has an extensive discography of over 15 albums from different projects using different artistic names but he is currently focusing on his pop music project with some funk influences. “I am about also to release a new CD until the end of 2017. My body of work is very eclectic since I am curious about different musical genres,” he points out. He reveals that in his recordings he invites some musicians who are his friends and better instrumentalists than him.

He signed with the indie Swedish label PR Records with his project MEL but his projects solo are still released independently. Brito argues that there are so many ways of promoting music although it is difficult to be noticed. “People give more importance to someone who makes covers on YouTube rather than someone who makes original music;” he laments. The artist tells us he uses social media but he thinks it also distorts the reality and takes away the mystery around the artist.

Brito comments he loves the creative music aspect of making something out of nothing. “I love working in the recording studio as much as I like performing live,” he emphasizes. Asked about the music meaning in his life he takes a long breath and says: “It means everything, it sounds cliché but it is real... I don't care about fame, I care about music quality”.

In addition to his music career, Brito also does voluntaries gigs; one of them was an improvisation with actors in a performance style called ‘Playback Theater’ that involved people with rough background such as formers drug users. “They would interact with the actors and I would improvise music on top of it; this would help them recover psychologically speaking,” he describes.

Inquired on his expectation in the world’s musical future Brito points out: “I hope that some of the artificiality in music that is perfectly evident nowadays goes away and we focus again on music quality; now we have artists on Top40 that can't even sing, they can't play an instrument, they don't write or produce their own songs; you take a look at someone like Stevie Wonder or Prince and you could see real raw talent there; and they were control freaks in terms of their work and creativity”.

And to conclude our interview Brito emphasizes that music is what makes him happy, and he tries not to waste his time with negativity. To learn more about the artist’s please go to: André Brito Official Website; Fan Page; Twitter; and YouTube.

by Zel Florizel

Giuseppe Brai Music and History

The singer, musician and songwriter Giuseppe Brai (56) was born in Oristano, Italy. Giuseppe started to be interested by music when he was eleven years old; at the age of fifteen he began playing acoustic guitar. Between gigs, compositions and training the artist devotes three to five hours per day on music. On the weekends he can dedicate more time on his art; during the week he has other professions actives, he works in the production department of a company that produces organic food.

After obtaining an accountant diploma he was called to work in his family’s company; thus, his teenage art project became even more complicated. The artist tells when he was twenty five he stopped playing, and devoted himself entirely to the business what absorbed all his energy. “I started playing again with no great ambition; however, my passion had never faded and in 2007 I took my acoustic guitar and started playing again, after so many years and so much rust, it was not easy but from that moment on I never stopped,” he adds.

Giuseppe tells us his parents always helped him financially when he started on music. The artist says he tried to emerge in Italy for more than five years; several famous artists listened to his song, but he had no return about it, actually he performed in his country in several cities. “I attended lots of contests some very important but I always had to face female great voices sometimes with bad songs. The judges in Italy always prefer great voices instead of the singing songwriting performances. That’s why I decided to address English speaking countries where there is more attention for indie artists,” he argues.

His main instrument is the acoustic guitar, Giuseppe learned it by himself; his first guitar was simple and he did not have to spend much money to buy it. “I love guitar, for working reason I stopped my music passion at the age of twenty five and for a long time I worked in the family business. When I started playing again I wasn’t as good as when I was young. Now I’m a good musician but not a great one. I perform with my guitar from time to time but not always,” he reveals.

His musical and cultural background in general, have always covered the Anglo-Saxon world and in particular the culture and music of the United States and Great Britain. He has a profound knowledge of English and American literature and has been fond of Celtic music, country and folk. His inspirers from a very young age were Woodie Guthrie, Jim Croce and Bob Dylan. His music is also influenced by John Denver, Neil Young, and Johnny Cash. His first performance was at a music contest in Tuscany; actually he was five years old. “It was the first time I was on stage. It was frightening,” he adds.

His first song was written in 2010, the artist thinks it was late in his life; however, music has always been the dream of his life and as soon as his job left him more time he started again to chase his dream. “My great inspiration and my muse is my partner Elena. Every song I have written is dedicated to her; particularly the one I released a couple of months ago titled Elena; she has been co-writing with me, she’s very smart, very good in English, and also performs as back vocalist in my latest production,” he points out. Writing has always been something Giuseppe has never abandoned in his life. “I have always written about everything, articles for local newspapers, reviews for magazines specializing in my business, poetry and short novels,” he comments.

Giuseppe usually plays his guitar every day, someday for few minutes, someday for hours. “When I play tunes come to my mind; I usually compose first and immediately I try to find the first lines of the song; maybe the words are not the best at that moment but this helps me to go on; if I consider a good tune what come out from these work I record it to keep save and make a professionally recording in the future,” he adds. His first album is titled “Dreams”, at present he has only released digital music. The artist says there’s not a song from himself he loves most, and all his tracks he has written professionally in the last two years are very good for him.

David is an arranger, sound engineer and drummer that usually work with him in his songs. Giuseppe supports all the costs of recording, producing and distributing his own music. “Music is the dream if my life, I work really hard on my music; I can go on in singer songwriting or only songwriting or also as a producer; but music is my life,” he emphasizes. The artist says us he is addressing completely to English speaking countries, so he has performed live in Germany and UK why these countries are near Italy.

For Giuseppe music is what make him happy, the artist adds when he is feeling down he used to listening to Dylan, Young Denver, U2, and others, what bring his happiness back. About the future of the musical world the artists says: “I hope to find labels more proactive towards Independent Artists. I know artists that are maybe better than Ed Sheran or other famous singer but are still unknown”. What make Giuseppe angry is the lack of loyalty and honesty. “A smile in a child makes me happy, sunrise and sunset makes me happy, emotions are the salt of life,” he points out. You can find more about Giuseppe Brai on: Giuseppe Brai Fan Page; YouTube; Twitter; iTunes and ReverbNation. 

By Zel Florizel 

Steven Vagovics Music and Life

The singer, musician and songwriter Steven Vagovics (21) was born in Bratislava, Slovakia. The artist says he’s been always interested by music. “As soon as I was five years old I started to play on the piano keyboard and on the drums,” he adds. In the beginning of his learning on guitar, Steven used to practice four hours per day; but now, because of his classes – he is also a music teacher – and his music career, he has been practicing about an hour a day every day.

The artist tells us his parents have helped him through his entire journey on music. “Without their support, I would not be able to buy a guitar or to produce my music,” he points out. Like most of the indie artists, Steven faced a lot of difficulties in the beginning of his musical career. “One of the main ones was my struggle to find some mixing engineers to help me craft my debut album. Then there were band rehearsals. To this day, I am trying to find some people who I can jam with. It is quite hard”, he reveals.

His main instrument is the guitar; about his music learning, Steven comments he is almost completely self-taught. “My dad showed me some basics when it comes to drums, but when it comes to the other instruments, I primarily taught myself on my own” he adds. His first guitar was paid by himself from his pocket saving.

The artists how inspire him are bands like: The Beatles, Radiohead, U2, Coldplay among others. His first public performance was around October 2015. Steven tells us it was just a fun little experience for his parents and for the parents of his classmates. “It made me feel quite energized; but there was this little weird feeling that I messed up the entire performance,” he comments.

Steven started writing songs seriously around 2013. His first recorded song was called Glancy; it even became an opener for his debut album called ‘Autumn’s Fall’ recorded in 2015. Asked about his writing process, the artist argues: “This is actually one of the most difficult questions that a songwriter can get, I think; it really depends on the song itself; sometimes it begins with the lyrics, sometimes with the melody or it both comes together at once”. 

On the Album 'Autumn’s Fall', Steven counts with the mixing engineer Kevin Stokley. “I've also tried to work with some other audio engineers but unfortunately, it didn't work out very well,” he reveals. 'Autumn's Fall' contains the songs: Glancy; Wonderful Day; Perfect Time; Come To Me; Eventually; Autumn Sunsent (Interlude); Buttlerflies; Part Of Me; Goodbye; Seens Like Yesterday and Autumn's Fall. 

In November 2016, was released the US Mix EP 'Steven Vagovics Volume One' with the songs: Perfect Time; Part Of Me; We All Stand Together; Glancy; Sing For Paris feat Ivana J. In August 2017, was released the acoustic EP titled 'Steven Vagovics Acoustic Sessions' with: Come To Me; Eventually; Part Of Me (on the piano); and Seems Like Yesterday. And his newest US Mix EP is called 'Steven Vagovics Volume Two' released on September 2017 with the songs: Cloud Nine; Come To Me; Eventually; Wonderful Day; Goodbye; and Follow Me.        

Steven says competition is, in his opinion, one of the main difficulties in the music industry nowadays. “We are living in a time when ordinary folks like me can record and distribute their music, which creates an avalanche of new artists and recordings,” he emphasizes. However, the artist adds that music is his fountain of happiness, a kind of relaxation, and an escape from the reality we currently face in the world.

Asked about his expectations in the future of the music in the world, he ponders: “I think that the streaming services will get even bigger and take up the role of the primary distribution service. I can't say that I'm happy about this scenario because I've always liked and always will like physical copies of music, such as CDs or vinyl”. To find out more about the artist's work visit: Steven Vagovics Official Website; Spotify; iTunes; SoundCloud; ReverbNation; Fan Page; YouTube; and Twitter.

By Zel Florizel

Daniel Moon Music and Life

The singer, musician and songwriter Daniel Moon was born in Lisbon, Portugal. He started to be interested by music when he was seven years old, having piano lessons. “My passion for the music started when I was at the Dom Pedro Hotel, in Vilamoura, Portugal; there was a pianist who played very well, so I wanted to start to learn it,” he reveals. His first performance was at the Music School of the Lisbon National Conservatory playing piano solo; at the time he was nine. “My teacher (who was Russian) was pushing me hard. So I felt the responsibility and I was nervous,” he reveals.

The artist tells us he practices music everyday and practices more writing songs. “About the time that I practice it depends of the day, because I am also a music teacher here in Portugal; that’s the way I invest on my project right now,” he adds. Daniel’s father was his great supporter, all his music formation was helped by him, and the artist adds he will be always gratefully for it. His main instruments are Voice and Piano. The artists that inspire him are: James Brown, Frank Sinatra, Jamiroquai, Robbie Williams, among others.

About the difficulties in the beginning of his career, he points out financial, promotion and book gigs: “all the financial effort is done by myself, It’s me who pay the studio to record the songs that I write and it’s me that pay to the musicians to play the others instruments; on promotion, here in Portugal to get the songs on radio it’s not easy because you need wedges and I don’t have them; that’s how it works unfortunately; and about book gigs, I am looking for agents who can book gigs for a project with ten musicians like mine, because every musician has to be paid, I wish to get much more gigs than I got until now,” he argues.

Daniel tells us he started writing music very early, but it was not great compositions. “I only started to do good songs with the time and doing mistakes,” he says. About his inspiration to writing, the artist says each song comes from different kinds of inspiration. “On the song ‘Be Different’ the inspiration came when I was almost sleeping but the TV was on; and it was showing Mercedes publicity which the follow phrase: ‘where others find obstacles, you find a passage’; then I wake up and started to write. The song ‘Give More’ I wrote with my eyes closed with a recorder on my side, and I was just singing melodies and recording, a few months later I wrote it on the piano,” he reveals.

His favorite songs written by himself are: ‘Please,Come Back To Me’, recorded on September 2016; ‘Give More’, recorded on September 2016; ‘Be Different’, recorded on May 2016; and ‘Precious Love’, recorded on January 2015. His first Album called ‘Be Different’ was released on March, 2017.

Daniel doesn’t have label and prefers managing his career by himself. “I had label, but now I am independent; and from the experience I had, I prefer to be independent; my opinion is that a label don’t want to help you as an artist at all,” he advises. In his performance Daniel counts with: Amando Filipe on the Drums; Miguel Menezes on the Bass; Ricardo Amaral on the Guitar; João Barreiros on the Keyboards; Rodrigo Lage on the Trombone; Tiago Cordeiro on the Tenor Saxophone; Jorge Barroso on the Trumpet; Carla Ribero and Lola Corista on the Back Vocals; and himself on Voice and Piano.

Daniel tells us his incomes come from the music classes he gives, but his goal is to make money with the music he does and gives more gigs. Asked about what he expects to happen in the future of the musical world, the artist says: “I hope that the media promote what they really think is good and don’t pass music that just pays more to pass, because that influences people's way of living and thinking; a good choice will always be good for the future quality of life of the young, especially”. What bothers Daniel is to fail and what makes him happy is to succeed. If there are some businessmen, agent or promoter who wants to contract Daniel, please contact him by: daniel.moon.singer@gmail.com. To learn more about the artist's work visit: Daniel Moon Official Website; Twitter; YouTube; Facebook; and Instagram.

By Zel Florizel 

Ed Harris Music and History

The singer, songwriter and musician Ed Harris was born at the Quonset Point Naval Base in Rhode Island the smallest state in the U.S. Asked about his age the artist tells us: “I’m older than I care to admit and think younger than I am! Let’s put it this way; I remember the first unmanned space flights, walk on the moon, assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King, the 60’s, Vietnam, etc”.

The artist is the oldest in a family of five children. About his childhood, Ed comments it was typical of a middle-class family living in Miami, Florida. “We were fortunate in that our parents found a modest new house situated on a lake; having the convenience of a lake for a backyard, we were in the water, on the water, or on the dock fishing almost every day,” he remembers. One of his fondest memories is of his father and him building a sailboat together. “I’ll never forget the excitement the first day putting her in the water; I had been and I am blessed with a wonderful family,” he emphasizes.

In his childhood, Ed spent his weekends exploring with friends, fishing, swimming, sailing, surfing, building forts, and several good actives only find in the South Florida. On Saturday mornings, he and his friends woke up before the sun rose and came back just before it went down. “Our parents never saw us on the weekends! Though I was very outdoor active, I also was artistic. I drew, oil painted, but my passion for music had always remained first and foremost,” he points out.

Ed reveals that in his teenagers he wasn’t into team sports, but he was somewhat known around school. "I never went with the crowd, but followed my own path, seeking out what I enjoyed to do most. It was during the late sixties I attended High School and drugs were everywhere," he comments. He never attended parties; He dedicated his time studying martial arts, building custom surfboards, and playing guitar, trumpet, and organ in some. "I wasn’t very academic back then but one of those individuals who squeaked by with minimal effort as possible. However, I excelled in music classes. Music came easy for me. I’m certain it helped that I loved music so much too!" He emphasizes.

The artist tells us he can’t recall when he was first become interested in music. At the age of four to five the little Ed was always around his mother singing with her, sometimes he sang the melody and at times the harmony. She was also responsible in getting him started on guitar. “She had picked up a small child-size parlor Stella guitar; initially, she thought it a good size for herself in that she always wanted to learn to play guitar; however, and to my utter amazement to this day, she came up with the idea of open tuning the guitar to a chord,” he remembers. His first song on the guitar was ‘On Top of Old Smokey’. His mother had him lay the little guitar on his lap and while singing the tune, listened for the chord changes. "The ingenious part of this was that by using the flat handle of a butter knife, I could simply lay the knife flat on the fret to make chord changes. So, in a very short period, I was making music and playing the guitar (in a way) at the age of five and it was fun!" He adds.

The singing lessons Ed ever received was from his Mother. The artist argues he never considered himself a vocalist and never had any big interest on it. "Either, you are born with an exceptional voice or you’re not; I was not and I’m ok with that; I’ve always felt more comfortable in expressing myself instrumentally rather than vocally," he says. However, Ed adds he is able sing on key very well, and jumps into any harmony interval easily. It’s for this reason he's been favored as a backup singer during those times he was in a band.

Ed argues that to him, practicing music is like taking a shower, brushing his teeth, or breathing. "I can’t remember a day when I don’t practice; it’s not so much how many hours a day you practice, but it’s more how you practice and how frequent you practice," he adds. The artist has developed a mental type practice as well; anytime during the day even while working, he will mentally visualize finger placement, phrasing, etc. which helps maximize practice when he is able to pick up an instrument. "I have gone for twelve hour stretches in practicing at times and other times I’ve practiced multiple short periods for only fifteen minutes but maybe twenty times during the day; I would leave the instrument out and every time I walk by it, pick it up and go over a few things; practice is different for every musician," he points out.

About the difficulties in the beginning of his musical career, Ed says he really doesn’t recall any difficulties; why music to him has always given him enjoyment and sanctuary from the struggles of everyday life. "I chose not to mix the two, but keep music as a serious avocation and not pursue it as a profession; If I had to do over again, I would have studied music academically to become a composer/conductor; however, I am happy where I am musically; I can’t imagine my life without it," he emphasizes. According to Ed, he does music by love, not because he is obliged to do it, and he is pleased he has found that equilibrium.

His main instrument is the guitar; the artist started playing it when he was five. He also played trumpet in his college times. Because his earlier beginning, he is able to play some others instruments. “Just recently, I’m starting to get to where I can stand to hear myself play the fiddle after 27 years! I also play Mandola, Mandolin, Upright Acoustic Bass, Banjo, Flute, Harmonica, Bouzouki, Cittern, and others,” he reveals. Ed tells us he has had many music teachers throughout his lifetime, public school music teachers and private teachers as well. He studied classic music for some years; however, he points out that every musician is able to self teaches. “I mean after all, it’s really up to them; after learning to read music and grasp some music theory, it wasn’t all that difficult in picking up other instruments over time; there is a plethora of instructional material out there today and the ability for someone to learn an instrument has never been more accessible,” he adds.

His first instrument was the old parlor sized Stella acoustic guitar as he mentioned in the beginning of our interview. His mother gave it to him when he was five and still has the instrument. His first electric guitar was a Christmas gift. “After that, I worked mowing lawns, bagging groceries, etc. to get other instruments,” he comments. Ed tells us he had grown up in a family which was all about music. “We always had several instruments lying about the house. It was inevitable other instruments would be picked up and played with from time to time,” he says. Some of his musical influences come from Turlough O’Caralan, Andre Segovia, Henry Mancini, James Taylor, Louis Armstrong, Al Hirt, Chet Atkins, John Doyle, Leo Kottke, Kevin Burke, Liz Carroll, among others.

Ed’s first performance was a solo Trumpet recital at his elementary school in the sixth grade. “I remember I was very nervous being on stage with no other accompaniment and having to perform a difficult Spanish piece; I don’t remember making any terrible mistakes and I got through the performance ok; I remember how it felt receiving applause at the end; though there wasn’t an encore request afterwards!” He jokes.

The artist reveals us he doesn’t consider himself a songwriter although he’s written some songs which included lyrics. “I’ve always been able to “hear” melodies in my head for as long as I can remember and as a result, gravitated towards expression through instrumentation, composition, and arrangement,” he adds. According to Ed, his writing inspiration comes from life experiences, and he intentionally doesn’t listen to a lot of pop music and doesn’t listen to music frequently as well. “The reason is fear of subconsciously ‘picking up’ a melody from somewhere else while I’m composing thinking it’s something I came up with. I’m very careful about that. I listen to classical and old traditional music which inspires me for arrangement, etc,” he argues.

One of the earliest songs Ed recorded written by himself was ‘The Gift Brittany’. “This tune I had in my head for some time before having the resources to record it”, he reveals. Now the artist has his own home studio. About music collaborations Ed says: “I have never collaborated with other artists on any recording project; everything you hear is strictly solo; it’s not that I wouldn’t welcome the opportunity to collaborate, but it’s just that it’s a challenge at times getting everyone on the same page at times; balancing career, family responsibilities, etc; I have found it much easier to just learn and pursue it myself. I make music because it is my passion not to make a living at it; that is a huge dynamic and a very liberating one as well”.

The artist released four albums and has been working in his fifth called ‘Well Below The Valley’ (Traditional Celtic featuring fiddle and vocals) that will be available in his official website. His complete collection are: ‘Two Rivers’ released Jan. 2014 - (Traditional and Contemporary Celtic Music featuring solo guitar, flute, fiddle, and others) – Harris Music  Available on iTunes; ‘Celticophilia’ released Jan. 2015 – (Traditional and Contemporary Celtic Music) – Harris Music Available on iTunes; ‘The New Bern Seisiúns’ released Feb 2016 – Harris Music (Nominated “2016 Celtic Album of the Year” by INEC, Scotland – Traditional Celtic Album) Available on iTunes; ‘Reflections of the Heart’ released Feb 2017 – Harris Music (Contemporary Celtic Music) Available at: Ed Harris Official Website. In addition the artist had worked in some film soundtracks with the songs: Crawdad Slip, New Life, and 8 Weeks in March.

Ed reveals us he doesn’t perform much, he is more a studio musician; however, he enjoys taking part in traditional Irish Sessions that take place in the area and nearby towns. The artist says that music has always been central in his life, and it is not professionally, but by love. “I chose instead to keep music as an avocation; for me, it eliminates the pressure and competition and gives me complete freedom to pursue music for the sheer enjoyment and love in making music; if my music makes a connection, then wonderful! However, I’m not pressured trying to build a base of loyal fans or worrying about maintaining and keeping my fans happy”, he points out.

Ed sees music as something personal, and he prefers being far from the competitiveness; there is no vanity in his music, just enjoyment for the art. For him, the new technologies also have been a watershed in the music scenario. “New technology is impacting the music industry and creating challenges for artists unlike we’ve ever seen before; we now have generations that do not need to spend money for music; there was a time when an album would be purchased because of one favorite song; the good news is that indie artists have more tools and resources available to them now than they ever had before,” he emphasizes.

Ed adds that, although these new technologies have made possible for everyone to make amazing music without having to learn to play an instrument, performance will never become old-fashioned. “I am seeing a surge in electronic music; many of these new artists hope to land a movie, commercial, or TV contract with their works; for me, I’m just grateful to be doing what I’m doing, and I will continue to do so for as long as I’m able; It’s been a fantastic ride of which I have met some very talented, gifted, and wonderful artists and folks along the journey!” He points out. To find out more about the artist's work visit; Ed Harris OfficialWebsite; ReverbNation; Instagram; Facebook; Twitter; and YouTube.

by Zel Florizel

Ugglan & boken: The Gap of Time

Ugglan & boken: The Gap of Time: Jeanette Wintersons senaste bok, The Gap of Time , är en av fem romaner som hittills finns i serien  Hogarth Shakespeare . Tanken bakom se...

Virtual Puzzle by Raffaella Piccirillo

After a long year of great preparation, dedication and love for art, the singer-songwriter Raffaella Piccirillo presents us with another wonderful album. His latest work, Virtual Puzzle released on 21st July 2017 is available in digital and physical worldwide distribution. The album features twelve songs in varied genres such as pop and jazz where the listener will go into a true musical adventure.

Despite the short time to take care of the album's release and a series of activities involving her job as speaker, Raffaella was very kind in giving us this interview. The singer tells us that Virtual Puzzle is a re-reading of her EP 'Fragments of My Dreams' released in 2011; and new songs not yet published. "All the songs were recorded in acoustic versions with a more intimate and close atmosphere," she says.

Raffaella points out that being an independent artist, all the work was a result of musical collaborations and hard work involving artists from various countries. "This album is a tribute to music is like a virtual puzzle; even if there is a physical distance, through the digital means that we have today, we can unite the pieces of the musical world that are: the songs; the musicians; singers; authors; engineers among others, "she adds. The singer comments that inevitably the time for production is prolonged in this system, but it is worth.

The first song is Ragazzi, from the Italian, boys. According to the singer the song talks about the differences between girls and boys. "It is the most joyful lyric of the CD, it deals with a context situated in the universe of adolescence; however, reflected in an adult content as the inevitable behavioral differences between man and woman," she reveals.

In the sequence we have the song Brivido, from the Italian, Shiver. "The song speaks of that feeling you have when your soul is in doubt whether you want to be attached to your own body or separate from it to find the unknown, a different dimension, to change the earthly reality for this new one; it can have multiple interpretations," she describes.

The third track of the album is the song Angels of the Silence. The music has a delicate theme dealing with the issue of pedophilia; asked if she felt free to address this issue because she was not stuck on any label, she says: "As an independent artist, I have not yet wondered if the famous stamp artists are afraid to touch on that theme; when you sign a contract with a famous label, in large part you give up your freedom of expression in different aspects."

The album follows with the songs Stop! and Roxy: Stop! Has a more pop rhythm, is a cry for the end of the injustices committed by the outside world, is a song that denounces hypocrisy and dishonesty; Roxy is a personal dedication that Raffaella wrote in honor of her friend Rossella Ferraris (one of my favorites), a young poet who left prematurely. This is really a very special song; I cannot describe it here through words.

Everyday is the sixth track of the album, the song talks about varied feelings that a person experiences when a love story ends. "It is an inner struggle to get rid of negative thoughts, the desire to close the past and look to the future, because a better love is what you deserve," she adds.

Following, we have the songs Help Me and Lost: According to Raffaella, the song Help Me deals with the set of sensations and moods that are unconsciously felt when someone is afraid of being forgotten; And Lost brings a beautiful love story of two mortal souls forced to separate, yet they are inevitably destined to find themselves again in a new immortal life.

The ninth song is titled When a Man: it is the story of a soldier fighting in the war obeying orders against the enemy; however, this enemy is just an ordinary person like him, family's fathers away from their wives and children; the only difference is the search for a different goal, which consequently leads to the same cruel actions.

The tenth track is Nel Vento (Wind) is a song about people who fully live their love story and suddenly lose it 'like a fall leaf that falls and is lost in the wind'. "It's a kind of question and answer between man and woman, saying their version and point of view," she adds. 

Give Me Kisses is one of the bonus tracks on this album, an international collaboration with the composer Zel Florizel from Brazil. "I'm very happy of singing this song, I think my voice fit the arrangements well; and the song fit well with the rest of the album. Zel is also a great supporter of independent music; I will never be able to say enough thanks for his great support," she adds.

To complete the album in high style, Raffaella brings an acoustic version of the song Kiss From a Rose. "This song belongs to one of my favorite artists, Seal; singing it brings me immense pleasure and this acoustic version is a gift for anyone who buys the entire album," she points out. The singer is very happy with most such achievement in her career and adds: "Virtual Puzzle is a rather intimate album, very feeling; For me, talking about it abroad is already a great achievement."

Asked about the voice's care, Raffaella added that studying and practicing is sufficient for becoming a good singer. "Since you are a child, you should impose the correct use of your voice, not relying solely on your own personal talent, with exercises and much desire for your general voice and different styles. Being versatile is important, it gives you the ability of being technically ready and have a good musical vision," she emphasizes.

The album is available on Apple Music; iTunes; CD Baby and also on physical CDs. Virtual Puzzle is an Unforgettable Musical Travel; a gift Raffaella decided give us; an example of how powerful independent music can be if artists work together as a big family without vanities. You can learn more about Virtual Puzzle on: Raffaella Piccirillo Official Website.

by Zel Florizel

Rock Essência na Feira Hippie

Leandro Lago

Nesse sábado 05/08 às 11:30 a Musissência e a Loja de artigos de rock, Rock Store convidam todos para o Evento "Rock Essência". Haverá muita música com o multi-instrumentista Leandro Lago. Além disso, a Rock Store estará sorteando camisetas para os presentes e na compra de um CD o participante também leva uma camiseta da loja com temas dos grandes ícones do Rock estampado.

O evento será realizado na Feira de Artes e Artesanato, mais conhecida como “Feira Hippie”; no Centro de Convivência Cultural de Campinas, no bairro Cambuí. Leandro também foi protagonista do evento Música na Praça apoiado pela Prefeitura Municipal de Campinas. O evento foi veiculado em uma bela matéria no Jornal da Cidade de Holambra, Jornal Local de Campinas e está também no site da Prefeitura Municipal de Campinas.

Para saber mais sobre o trabalho musical de Leandro Lago acesse: Musissência Fan Page. Conheça também o site da loja Rock Store e uma linha completa de artigos para os amantes do bom e velho Rock in Roll; como camisetas, jaquetas, coturnos e muito mais nos modelos feminino e masculino. Agradecimentos à página Alma Hippie por apoiar o projeto Rock Store. Vale a pena conferir!

por Zel Florizel