Considered by many as one of the most important names of the “New Brazilian Music”, Pedro Moraes, singer and composer from Rio de Janeiro was one of the main names related to BME’s APAP 2012 attendance. Curator and co-organizer of the Brazilian showcase at the event, Moraes talked to us and explained a little more about his relationship with BMA and the highlights of the American conference.

How is your relationship with BMA?
I first got to know BMA years ago. I had some friends that had already worked with them and told me about their projects. My first direct contact with the team was in 2009, during the project Comprador e Imagem, that they annually promote to improve networking between Brazilian artists and possible international buyers. There were interesting contacts from all over the world on that event. I was planning at that time my first international tour throughout the US, and at that moment I met very important people for that process, I remember programmers from Washington, Boston and Chicago (I ended up playing in Chicago, actually). BMA also helped me to play at SXSW.

How was your participation on APAP 2012
I was curator and co-organizer of the 2012 Brazilian Showcase presented at the event – Explorative Brazilian Music. My intention with that showcase was to unite BMA’s contacts and networking skills with the fresh vision of some new Brazilian artists, new Brazilian music – more sophisticated and vibrant. The deal was that I would be responsible for inviting the artists and help them with the practical issues of an international tour and BMA would be responsible for promotion and spreading the word.

Could you talk more about this concept of Explorative Brazilian Music?
Sure! Explorative Brazilian Music is a concept that offers musical innovation, but without losing references from our traditional rhythms. That kind of music is very well seen outside Brazil, even more than in our country itself. People from other countries are more open to these changes, and don’t seem to care if you are famous or not back there… its all new. Playing outside the country is a great opportunity to be appreciated by your music, and not by your marketing.

What is it like to participate in an event like this? What are the immediate results of your attendance?
Nobody builds a career only attending events. But it is extremely important. To see my own music playing at a place like the Poisson Rouge, was by itself already a great thing. You cant actually measure the results of a conference right after it happened, but I can assure that many business cards were exchanged, many contacts were established and now, the follow up of all the connections I made then, is what’s gong to make the difference. The most important thing is that many important people that didn’t know my work now do. And that’s worth it.

About Pedro Moraes:

Considered one of the most important composers and singers in the new Brazilian Music scenario, with his album Claroescuro deemed one of the top ten world music CDs of 2010 by the Boston Globe.

Never losing sight of his opus as a composer, Pedro started, in 2003, a very successful parallel career as a samba interpreter, springing from the traditional bohemian neighborhood of Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, to nation-wide touring, mostly with the ensemble ‘É com esse que eu vou’, with whom he recorded the acclaimed album ‘Samba do Baú’ (the ‘Treasure-Chest Samba’), dedicated to previously unreleased songs by the greatest masters in the history of this most brazilian genre (Paulinho da Viola, Cartola, Nelson Sargento and others).

Since 2007, after recording his first solo album, Claroescuro, Pedro Moraes has been dedicating fully to promoting his music, with an intense schedule of concerts that has included Europe (England, Germany and Spain), Asia (India – Pedro is the first brazilian artist to have his CD released by an Indian label – and Sri Lanka), USA (three tours in 2010/2011, including one SXSW appearance, the Chicago World Music Festival, the Philadelphia Film and Music Festival and NY venues such as the NuBlu, SOB´s and Zinc Bar) and successful touring around Brazil, with outstanding response from audiences and press.