Roberta Campos – Coisas de Viver (self-release, 2025)
Fifteen years into her career, Braziian singer-songwriter Roberta Campos embraces full creative independence with Coisas de Viver (“Things of Living”), a self-produced album crafted alongside guitarist Alexandre Fontanetti. Stripping away industry expectations, Campos takes control of every aspect, composition, production, and arrangements, resulting in a work that feels deeply personal and unfiltered. “For the first time, I built the album exactly how I wanted,” she reflects, signaling a shift in both confidence and artistic vision.
The album’s alluring nine tracks serve as snapshots of Campos’ journey, marked by her return to São Paulo after a period of rural solitude during the pandemic. The shift from isolation to reconnection is palpable. “Peito Aberto” and “Gérbera” radiate warmth, their melodies infused with an understated optimism.
In contrast, “Na Proa da Saudade” and “A Cor do Que Eu Quero” navigate the weight of nostalgia and childhood wounds, capturing emotions with a quiet intensity.
The lovely, intimate title track, enriched by Felipe Pacheco’s delicate string arrangements, becomes a meditation on love’s fragility and strength—a theme woven throughout the album.
Campos’ approach in the studio was hands-on and deliberate. She shaped the pre-production process, refined vocal phrasing, and layered intricate guitar textures, ensuring that every note carried intention. With Fontanetti’s fluid guitar work and the intuitive interplay of her live band, the album finds a balance between airy folk sensibilities and emotional depth. There are echoes of Brazilian MPB traditions here—think the hushed intimacy of Vânia Bastos or the melodic storytelling of Adriana Calcanhotto—but Campos’ voice remains unmistakably her own, delicate yet resilient.
Buy Coisas de Viver.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
