Known for creating an independent music community, Sofar Sounds was born in 2009 in London and came to revolutionize the way we listen to music. Sofar is an abbreviation for “songs from a room” and, although it seems unlikely, the invitation to go to a surprise show – knowing the location just 48 hours before the event and not knowing the artists who will play – is becoming increasingly attractive for the young audience.
What is its purpose?
To change the way people consume live music, making it much more accessible, this project arrived to encourage independent national artists and the world’s music scene.
The shows are held in small and unconventional places, such as someone’s living room, squares, hostels, or even a co-working space. As they are more intimate presentations and the performers are not previously disclosed, the proposal is for the public to create an intimate relationship with the artist present there.
Also, the location is only revealed two days before the event. The show is composed of between three and five artists, who have reduced presentations of 30 to 40 minutes each. The only certainty that the spectator has is that they are independent and authorial performers from the local scene, maintaining the mystery.
What about Brazil?
Today the project happens in more than 300 cities around the world, eleven of which are Brazilian (among them large centers such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Curitiba). Sofar arrived in Brazil in 2012 and the first years were somewhat turbulent. Following the London model, at the end of the night guests were asked to pay what they thought the experience was worth. Receiving between 50 cents and five “reais” per guest, the project was doomed to failure.
That’s when Fernando Remiggi, 31, the drummer responsible for bringing this idea to Brazil, realized that it would be necessary to charge a fixed fee for the project to continue. The value, today, varies from R$20 to R$50.
Creating a concerT’S new perception
Because it is an organic event, without the need to bring the band/artist to the center of the event, Sofar is much more than just a concert: it is an experience, a music community. What has become common at shows is for people to stay talking, on their cell phones and drinking, leaving the artists in the background, in addition to not attending at concerts because they don’t know their performers.
This project comes to change that, encouraging people to open their minds and discover new things.
Is it hard to perform?
The curation process of bands interested in performing per month is somewhat disputed, receiving content from more than 50 interested bands. Those selected go through a final process carried out by the Sofar team. In exchange for participating in the event, the artists/bands, in addition to gaining exposure at the event, receive a lot of online engagement, as the presentation is recorded and then made available on the Youtube channel and the project’s official website.
Once having played at this event, the artist wins a free pass to perform shows outside the country in any edition of the event, because after all, for Sofar Sounds there are no doors, barriers or oceans. Just music connecting people!
The article above was edited by Lorena Lindenberg. Liked this type of content? Check out Her Campus Casper Líbero for more!