Interviewed by Duzzy Clayton
Pedro Barbosa Talks To Fanbase Music Magazine About His New Track, Collaborating With RADA and RADA Unearthed & Much More
Intro
Pedro Barbosa has been involved in the South African music industry for quite some time, and can often be seen on various line-ups and venues around Johannesburg and Pretoria. He has recently teamed up with the great Charity RADA for their musical project RADA Unearthed. Together, they have released a new track called ‘We the Light’, which is such a great track with such beautiful lyrics, and Pedro’s voice sounds amazing on the track. On a side note, you can support RADA by checking out this track on your favourite online streaming platform, and all proceeds made from the single go back into the great work RADA is doing
Enjoy The Interview
Hi Pedro, welcome to Fanbase Music Magazine, can you tell us where you are from and how did you get into music?
Hey, I’m originally from Maputo, Mozambique, but currently residing in Pretoria, South Africa. I got into music after some heartache from losing my first love. I wrote my feelings down, and a friend liked one of the parts I wrote about my first love and told me I should turn it into a song. Some time after that I taught myself guitar and I just kept going. My Mom says it started way before that, though. She says I always sang in the shower from a very young age, and I would make up my own words because I didn’t really speak English.
How would you describe your sound and genre?
That is a hard one, I love all different styles, so I don’t have a specific style. My main ones are probably “Adult Contemporary”, but I also do Latin, Pop, Rock. I have even tried some country recently *hehehe*. In terms of sound it depends on the style, we try and keep it as mature as now as possible. Mark Beling my Producer, is the man behind the sound he does most of the magic on that part.
Who are some of your influences while growing up, what forms your music taste today?
Bon Jovi was a major influence when I started playing, Bryan Adams as well, but it was really all over the show. I liked Brenda Fassie, Johnny Clegg, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Pantera, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Run DMC and NWA. I really liked almost anything. Today it’s still the same. I just added jazz and classical to that. It really depends on what mood I’m in. I go through phases in what I like.
You recently collaborated on a track with RADA and RADA Unearthed, in your own words can you explain what RADA is and how it came to release a song with them?
To me, RADA is hope and inspiration; it’s an opportunity. RADA and getting to know RADA inspired me and made me want to be part of their vision and statement. My mom worked for UNICEF, so I have always been surrounded by the idea of children suffering, and I have seen a lot with regard to that through my mother and her work, so when I met JP from RADA and he told me his story, I was immediately drawn into it and I wanted the world to know and see it and also get inspired to do something. With that also came the idea of the song. I wanted a song that inspires people, that pays it forward and that shows that we all matter. I have found a lot of articles about suicide in young people and also mental struggles in general. All these things affected the song’s idea, I think, and most importantly, the vision of RADA. It took about two years for me to write the song. It was a long wait. I had another song that was going to go to RADA, but I didn’t feel like the message was there in that regard. But I felt that WE ARE LIGHT was a good representation of RADA’s vision. I just want to empower people with the song.
The song is called We The Light, can you let us in on what the song is about?
So, basically, to be honest, I wrote the song in 20 minutes or so, and when I wrote it, I didn’t think about it much. When I say it took 2 years, it was because for two years I wrote quite a few songs, and none felt right for RADA. Anyway, so I wrote it and then dissected it. We are light because Light is hope in the dark. I was considering, at one stage, saying we are life, but that wouldn’t symbolize hope, it would just be what we are as humans, LIFE. The idea of unity came in the second verse, and it was also something I wanted to show the original lyrics were also You are light it was you you you, and I felt like that was a bit too in your face, and it didn’t embrace everyone and was too direct and could feel like I’m imposing the idea and I wanted it to be lighter, reason I went with We instead of you.
There are a lot of details that were added and thought about after I wrote the initial song and went into pre-production. Like the bridge, I was in the studio when Mark said, “Go high, we take out all the instruments, and we let that voice go.” That accents the part which says BE THE CHANGE. Which is a big part of the message. There are so many elements, actually.
The track was produced by Mark Beling. How was it working with him, and what does he bring to the song?
Mark is a real brother to me, so it’s easy to work with him. He did all the arrangements of the song. I just told him I would like an anthemic, and he said I hear it as well, and he did his magic and when I heard the song again, it was basically as you hear it now in the final master. He is amazing. We have a very similar approach musically, so it’s so easy to work with him. But Mark brings magic to my music. I always say I call him the Mathmagician, because he brings knowledge, passion and magic to the production.
There is also a music video for the song. Can you explain the concept of the video and where and how it was filmed?
SO the music video was designed by a good friend of mine, Shenka Doherty, who has done a couple of videos for me in the past. How it comes about is that im a huge Marvel Fan and i wanted the video to not just be for adults i wanted to also go for kids, so i spoke to Shenka about 3 “superheroes” who can heal people and after they heal, they give their powers to whoever they heal, and they also can heal others. And Shenka did the rest. I wasn’t involved in any of the details of the video; it was her baby I didn’t want to take away from her creativity. The only thing added was the kid drawing the video at the start, which was an idea from the Rada team, and I thought it was a great idea as well.
Who else worked on the music video?
Ricci, who is also a Rada artist under the name Sevven, did the first part of the video, the filmed part, and they had to sign off on the video with the rest of the Rada members. It’s quite a process. *hehe*
Can you tell us what else you got coming up in terms of new music?
Yeah, there are a few releases in the next year. I have an album coming out where Shenka will do a movie/videos kind of sync to the album, and then I want to release an African EP, and I’m finalising a Folkish kind of EP as well.
Thank you for doing this interview, do you have any last messages for our readers?
YEAH, BE YOUR OWN LIGHT, AND FOR OTHERS YOU WILL SHINE
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/PedroBarbosaMusician
INSTAGRAM – @PedroBarbosaMusician
TIK TOK – @PedroBarbosaMusician
YOUTUBE – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyY0cZo9vaG9sUobgZsnyCw
Find Out More About RADA And RADA Unearthed HERE: