BRAZILIAN SINGER, SONGWRITER PATRICIA BASTOS RELEASES “VOZ DA TABA” FEATURING CAETANO VELOSO

On Monday, September 25th, the singer from Amapá, Patrícia Bastos, returned to Brazil after performing in New York at the Pororoca Festival in defense of the Amazon. From the beginning of her career, she has been doing just that—breaking the boundaries of her state or country to make the world hear the voices of the forests, the quilombos, the batuque, and the marabaixo rhythms of Amapá. Her next venture and fifth album, titled “Voz da Taba,” produced by São Paulo native Dante Ozzetti will be released on October 27th (2023).

“Whoever has never seen the Amazon / Will never understand the life of a people / With Brazilian soul and heart / Their riverine achievements / Their new rhythm.” These verses from “Jeito Tucuju,” a work by poet Joãozinho Gomes with music by Val Milhomem, encapsulate the sentiment and pride of being from Amapá. The album includes an extraordinary rendition, with Caetano Veloso joining in. The music will resonate across the world, featuring arrangements, musical production, and guitars by Dante Ozzetti, bass by Fi Maróstica, percussion by Hian Moreira, Nena Silva, and the Trio Manari, and a string orchestra with musicians from the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra – OSESP.

The album also features Ná Ozzetti, Fabiana Cozza, Alzira E., Tarita de Souza, Ronaldo Silva, Ana Maria Carvalho, and Cristóvão Bastos, in addition to the singers from the Orquestra Mundana Refugi, Mabiala Nkombo (Leonardo Matumona), Hidras Tuala Tsueso, Francellys Castellar, and Ola Taisr Alsaghir.

“Voz da Taba” completes the trilogy formed by “Zulusa” (2013) and “Batom Bacaba” (2016), both produced by Dante Ozzetti. These albums are primarily composed of repertoire from Northern composers who work with the language of Amazonian rhythms, especially from Amapá, such as the Curiaú batuque and marabaixo. The lyrics portray the daily lives of riverside communities, quilombos, their history, and evolution, and also address the influence of indigenous peoples. Also, it reflects the journey experienced by Patrícia Bastos in her personal and artistic development.

According to Dante Ozzetti, “Voz da Taba” engages in a deeper dialogue with the indigenous peoples of Amapá and the descendants of the African diaspora settled in the region. Caribbean music and the influence of French Guiana make this album more danceable. It features rhythms like soca, cacico, and zouk and elements from marabaixo and batuque. Most of the songs were composed for the album. Many came to life during Dante’s extended trip to French Guiana and Suriname, along with composers Enrico Di Micelli and Joaozinho Gomes, accompanied by Patrícia Bastos.

Hailing from Macapá, Patrícia Bastos inherited her passion for music from her mother, Oneide Bastos. Later, she met musician, composer, and arranger Dante Ozzetti, who began producing her works, always valuing Amapá’s music, highlighting its rhythms, and bridging the gap between Amapá’s artists and composers and those from São Paulo. 

In 2010, Patrícia released “Eu sou Caboca.” With musical production by Dante Ozzetti, she released “Zulusa” (2013), “Batom Bacaba” (2016), and in 2021, “Timbres e Temperos,” accompanied by Enrico di Miceli and Joãozinho Gomes, two prominent artists and composers from Amapá. In 2022, Patrícia released three singles: “Yárica” (Cristóvão Bastos and Joãozinho Gomes), “Tudo vem da Água,” with singer and composer from Pará Felipe Cordeiro, and “Kwa Yane Redawa – Esse é o nosso lugar,” a poetic manifesto from the children of the Amazon, the mother of Brazil, by Silvan Galvão, Nilson Chaves, and Joãozinho Gomes.

Throughout her career, Patrícia has received the Itaú Cultural Rumos Award (2010), FUNARTE’s Pixinguinha Award (2009), the 25th Brazilian Music Award (2014) in the categories of “Best Regional Singer” and “Best Regional Album” for her CD “Zulusa,” in addition to being nominated in the Revelation category, Bastos was a Latin Grammy. She is increasingly active in the music scene and collaborates with Dante Ozzetti, Ná Ozzetti, Arismar do Espírito Santo, and Marcelo Preto, among many others.