Just before her studies in Cásper Líbero began, Giulia Gamba was already there enchanting the world somehow. Maybe it was her cute auburn bangs, or the way she softly sang while playing the guitar, but there was one thing that annoyed her badly: being compared to Clarice Falcão, a brazilian artist who was facing the explosive beginning of her career in music. Then, she decided to parody one of her songs, post the video on Youtube, and show, in more than 190.000 (surprising) views, a tiny bit of her talent and humour. In this interview, we talked a little about her passion for Journalism, people and art, and how music helps her to keep it up.
Age: 20
Major: Journalism
Year: 2017
Sign: Leo
Hometown: Santo André
You’re in a band, right?
Yeah! I’m in this trio, and we play in small pubs and parties. It’s really cool, especially because it’s composed by my boyfriend, his brother and I! So, we all play and sing, and sometimes it’s Lucas [boyfriend] playing the guitar and me on percussion, then we do the opposite, and Pedro [brother-in-law] plays the bass.
How did you discover your talent for singing?
Actually, I’ve always liked music, and when I was eleven or twelve years-old, I lived in this building and a friend began doing some classes and I decided to do them too. I still have classes with my music professor, who’s great, and he taught me to play the guitar, and then I became interested in singing, so he taught me how to sing as well. At the same time, my boyfriend was having classes with him as well, and I didn’t know him yet. So, a little after that, we met and we found out we had classes with the same guy! I mean, there were too many coincidences. [Laughs.] We kind of met because of music then, so it’s a huge part of my life. I’ve never thought about studying music properly in college or something; it’s always been more like a hobby, but nowadays I’m facing it more and more as work too. My relationship with music has changed along the years, but it’s been there for a while, since those times when I listened to Sandy e Júnior. [Laughs.]
What do you enjoy listening to?
We play a lot of Brazilian music, and it’s something I learned to like while studying music. Actually, I didn’t properly learn to like it, but I learned more about it. When you study music, you end up expanding your repertoire, discovering other sounds. I like listening to Elis Regina, Cássia Eller, Lenine, and the classics ones we also play, like Tom Jobim. I’m really eclectic, so I also like pop and jazz music as well.
How did you end up choosing Journalism as major?
It’s funny because I had no idea of what to do at college, but I’ve always liked communications, since I’m a talkative person, as you might have noticed by now. [Laughs.] Even though I almost applied for Radio, Television and Internet, I chose Journalism after reading this fantastic book by Daniela Arbex, “Holocausto Brasileiro” [“Brazilian Holocaust”, in free translation] . You know, the usual: “I want to do it for life, I want to tell people’s stories!” And then I found out it’s a pretty wide area, so I thought it would be a nice beginning. I mean, I’ll find myself sometime. [Laughs.]
I saw that you’ve been also part of a movie.
Oh, yes!
How was this experience?
It kinda began with my Youtube channel, which is where I upload some song covers, and there was this time when people always told me I looked like Clarice Falcão. I was getting a little fed up of this, because seriously, I’m not that similar to her, and that was when she was on television all the time, so people actually thought that was me! Then, I decided to make a parody of one of her songs, and the video became really popular. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this feedback, so I was like, “OK, then”. All of a sudden, this guy inbox-messages me on Facebook saying he was looking for a Clarice Falcão look-alike for a movie he was producing. At first, I panicked, because that was really weird. But, after some talking, I was sure that was for real and when I noticed, I was flying to Rio de Janeiro to film my part. It was my first time in the city; I was there for two days only, and it was madness, but at least I got to see the Cristo Redentor. When I came back home, I couldn’t believe it at all, and I kept thinking about that if for some reason I hadn’t uploaded that video, that would’ve never happened. It was a quite nice spot – it was only a scene, but I got to sing and play the ukulele. Also, I’ve met some famous actors, so you begin to feel a little like a star, right? [Laughs.] The movie is called “Um suburbano sortudo” [“A lucky suburban”, in free translation], and I think I’ve been to the cinema three times to see myself with my friends. Like, no big deal, I don’t even care about seeing myself looking gorgeous in the cinema. [Laughs.]
What does art mean to you?
Music makes me really happy. I guess it’s a way of expressing yourself, of, somehow, touching people. I like drawing as well, but it’s an amateur thing, and writing, even though I’m quite shy about that since I never think it’s good enough. Art is all about being able to bring some feeling in people, and there are many ways to do that.
I think Journalism has a lot to do with that.
It really does! It’s also very similar to the way I came to it – by reading a book, which is a form of art that awoke this feeling in me. Journalism have this power of helping people in that way, of giving visibility to an issue and expressing a cause. If you write a great text or speak the right words, you’re able to pass on any message.
On the topic of connecting with people’s feelings, I thought your page about multiple sclerosis is a fantastic idea. How did you take this initiative?
It’s a quite recent thing – there are not even six months since I was diagnosed with it. This idea came out because many people don’t even know what multiple sclerosis is. I mean, some people think I’m going to die because of it, or that’s the same disease as Stephen Hawking’s, which is not true. There are doctors who don’t even know what it is or how to deal with it, so it ends up quite prejudicial to carriers. One of the symptoms is an immediate fatigue, and in public transport I’ve got the right to sit on preferencial seats, but judging by the looks, especially in rush hours, I shouldn’t be sitting there, so it generates many ugly looks. Luckily, I don’t have that much symptoms, but I know these situations happen more because of the lack of knowledge. I think it’s always great for you to get to know more about everything. I’ve always been extremely curious – if I have to do this paper on a random theme, I can possibly own a Ph.D. on it. [Laughs.]
Back to college: what does Cásper represent to you?
I envolved a lot as a person studying in Cásper. I see myself as a completely different person today. I mean, time flies and we don’t really get to notice things, but today in class I was remembering this text I read in my first year here, and how it’s changed my thoughts on a social cause I know that existed, but not by that perspective. So the professors, classes, debates and proposals really enriched me as a person, so that’s definitely the best thing I’ve been taking from Cásper.
What are your expectations for this year?
Now I’m working in Cásper’s Núcleo Editorial, with art and diagramming, so I’m really excited with it, considering it’s an area that I love! So, I hope to do a good job in Núcleo, keep on dedicating myself to classes, since the texts and extra books are things I value a lot because they always bring something new to you. And, of course, I want to keep on having time to take care of my health and paying attention to myself. I want 2016 to be just like it is, just the way I feel today.