Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Monica Avila pays tribute to the orixá Obatalá in her latest release, Obatalá é Rei. The single blends Yoruba prayer, Afro-Brazilian percussion, and lyrical flute lines with Avila’s evocative vocals. It features Alexandre Garnizé on percussion and Samara Líbano on seven-string guitar.
The B-side, Caminho Curto, Caminho Longo, reflects on childhood and loss, dedicated to Avila’s late brother. Both tracks were recorded at home with longtime collaborators and produced by Maga Bo, capturing a balance of intimacy and rhythmic depth.
Avila, a founding member of the Abayomy Afrobeat Orquestra and Orquestra Lunar, has worked with Alcione, Criolo, and Bia Ferreira. She holds a Master’s in Music from UNIRIO, where her research centers on Afro-American electronic music. A contra-mestre of Capoeira Angola, Avila integrates spiritual, political, and cultural influences into a body of work rooted in Afro-Brazilian identity and resistance.
Author: Wojciech Rubis
Wojciech Rubiś is a jazz musician with an inclination towards world music, fusion, Latin, ethnic music. He’s active mainly in the music scene as a sideman, arranger and conductor. In this role, he has appeared in various jazz and popular music bands in Poland and abroad. He worked for cruise marine (including Royal Caribbean), theaters and television French and Japanese, including Canal +, La Cinquième, Planète + and artistic Muzzik (now Mezzo), MTV Japan. Wojciech has collaborated with many distinguished musicians, among others: Niño Josele, David Chesky, Kurt Elling, Michael Parkinson, Marisa dos Reis Nunes, Bebo Valdés, Javier Limón, Gary Witner, Jarosław Śmietana, Paweł Kaczmarczyk, Grzegorz Motyka, Ryszard Krawczuk, Michał Barański, Michał Knapik. He has considerable experience in teaching and music education, lecturer at many individual workshops of jazz and classical music organized by instituions such as Webster University Department of Music (St. Louis), Musicians Institute of Contemporary Music, the Guitar Institute of Technology, Los Angeles.