Andrea Sbaragli is an 48 years old Italian, in love with Brazilian music. In Florence, where he lives, he heads the agency A Buzz Supreme, thats works with publishing, promotion and artistic management and also has an office in Milan.In his more than 25 years of experience in the music market, Andrea has worked for several record labels, including DRO Records (Spain), Sub Pop (USA), and even the Brazilian Trama in 2006/2007 promoting in Italy names like Gal Costa, Otto, BID, among others. Since then, Andrea has signed his passion for Brazilian music and he aldo has a project called “Bras.It”, aimed at promoting Brazilian artists. Right now he is releasing the album “Cine Privê” of Domenico Lancelloti (from Rio de Janeiro) in Italy. Andrea likes to say that Brazilian music is his “cup of tea!” He talked to BR Music Exchange:
How’s the relation between the italians and Brazilian music?
There is a big tradition in Italy for Brazilian Music. Since late 60s and 70s there were a lot of collaborations between Italian and Brazilian artists. Then, this was partially lost in the last two decades, because the strategies of the major record companies were mostly directed to the global music business and the only market of reference was the US one.
But Italian audience is still attracted to Brazilain music. Some years ago we saw the huge success of the Tribalistas album, and this summer was the time of Maria Gadú with “Shimbalaiê” that was (and it’s still) a good succes in the Italian radios.
Unfortunately I see no strategy behind these “one shot” successes and there isn´t a promotion of most of the amazing new music from Brazil. In Italy there are few Brazilian artists that are doing concerts every year. Apart Caetano and Gil, that are touring more or less with regularity the country, most of the Brazilan artists that are playing in Italy, play in July for festivals. It seems the only way to cover the expenses of the fly costs. But the Italian audience feel the brazilian music as a “summer experience” that’s for me a reduction for the natural potential for the Brazilian music in my country.
Which brazilian artists are well knowed in Italy and why?
Some artists of the 70´s like Chico Buarque, Toquinho, Vinícius, João Gilberto, Elis Regina, Tom Jobim and Gilberto Gil.
Caetano, Gil, Jobim and João Gilberto are some of my deepest music guide, Tom Zé is my personal music hero!
The David Byrne tributes to Tom Zè that explained me that everything I was looking for in music it was possible to find into the Brazilian music ocean.
Then in the 90′s there were the big success of Caetano Veloso and Jacques Morelembaum production “The Cucurrucucu Paloma” version in the Almodóvar movie, Hable con Ella was the edge of the success. When I had the chance to work for the promotion of the digital remastered reissue version of the “Elis and Tom” álbum, I was so proud to work for one of the music masterpiece of all the times! And finally for the first time I was able to explain what it is my job, because I was sure that everyone of my “non music addicted” friends were knowing “Aguas De Março”.
But the promotion done to Brazilian records in Italy is really not sufficient. Even the latest Caetano álbum with the Banda Cê was not promoted properly.
What does an Brazilian artist needs to do to improve his work in Italian market?
First of all the Italian music market is not a big market. This is important to know to decide the right investment to do. But on the other hand Italy can be an important door to enter in Europe. To open the Italian market for an artist that is not known in Italy, it needs to work with a long term plan, if you have not a big budget to invest in marketing and promotion.
Obviously it depends from the music genres. If the music has the potential to be broadcasted in the most important radios you have to choice the right time for the promotion and to make a plan, especially if the artist can stay in Italy for a long time. The best thing for an independent artist should be to do a couple of tours during the year with a distributed album and a proper promotion. But please, no tours in July!!
What are you doing now?
Domenico and Banda Black Rio are the Brazilian artists we are promotiong at the moment. We did the promotion even of the Marcos Valle and the latest Azymuth albums, some months ago. For me to work with Brazilian music means happiness. For Banda Black Rio I did a promo plan contacting some music mags and the most important radios that can be involved in their music. Unfortunately the budget for the promotion we receive from all the labels is lower and lower each time, as the sales number seems to decrease for the crisis of the music industry. But the album is very good and we were able to have some very good reviews in the music magazines and to have some songs broadcasted on the National radio and in some national networks. For Domenico Lancellotti our work is completely different. The album was licensed to an Italian record label (Malintenti Dischi) and I have the possibility to work deeper with promotion to introduce Domenico to the Italian audience. I’m very lucky to work for him because I believe that in the future he will build a very good profile in Italy. We started with some interviews and very good reviews.
Any other new?
At the moment I’m working with another project between Brazil and Italy… There will be a Festival in Rio next year that will put together some independent bands from Italy and from Brazil. The project is amazing and I hope I will come with some artists from our roster. I have another Project, an album of one of the most interesting new Italian artists, and my dream will be to record in Brazil, with one of the producer I regard more in the world, his name is Kassin.
