It’s not news that women have always made some awesome songs, as singers, writers or producers. For the past decade, we have had big female names in the industry like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Elis Regina and Rita Lee. But even in 2023, do we know how hard it is for them to rise in this world? That is why I interviewed three women that are in the music scenario, in different ways, to show how there could exist many realities outside of one topic.
I had a conversation with Melissa Carraro, 19, a musical actress, Priscila Brigante, 44, a musician, and Graça Cunha, 53, a singer and jury of Canta Comigo, a Brazilian reality show which reveals new voices. They have different stories about their experiences which made me impressed about how music can impact someone in various ways.
WRITER SINCE CHILDHOOD
Melissa, also known as Mel, studies journalism at Casper Libero, in Sao Paulo, where she was born. She grew up in a musician’s house: her dad used to have a band in high school, but they needed to have a break. At family parties, they always played. Her mother was a big music fan, she always had a lot of CDs, so Mel has many good memories with them. “My relationship with music is very happy. It’s everything. It has always been in my life”, she says.
As she grew up, she built her own music taste, through her parents’ references. She used an example: her mother used to listen to U2, a band that people Melissa’s age don’t listen to or don’t even know — which I think is insanity!
Mel is part of a musical theater collective at her college, a thing that she had never done before. She likes to be part of this group because it has the two things she loves: music and theater. “I think that is magical. Anyone who loves music should do musical theater”, completes. Melissa told that it is a thing that allows her to be in contact with music all the time.
Writing is a difficult thing to do, but Melissa has done it since she was seven. She explained that it is very natural to her as she do it since such a young age. The part which gives me chills — as a BIG Swiftie — is that she began to write after listening to “Love Story” by Taylor Swift, who is an important artist as a woman in that scenario. “They were silly songs for a kid, but as a seven-year-old, I talked about love in a very mature way”, told Melissa.
For a long time, she wrote about things she had never experienced, but since last year, when she fell in love for the first time, her songs have been about love and her girlfriend — as a Pisces woman, it brings tears to my eyes. Melissa added, “It’s a way to understand what I’m feeling and express it to the world”.
A DREAMER PERCUSSIONIST
Priscila Brigante, 44, is a musician who was born in São Carlos, an inner city in São Paulo state. As Melissa, Brigante said that music had been in her life since her childhood, and added that she was a restless child and always liked to beat at something and make “sets” — an ensemble of instruments.
Her story continues to relate to Melissa’s when she also tells about her family parties and how they always find a way to transform everything into music. At 15, she started to play the drums: “It was love at first sight”. Then, in 2000, she decided to move to São Paulo to study not just drums, but percussion. After some time, she began to play at bars and make money with that, but always studying and working to achieve her goal: “I’ve always seen the invites as a new opportunity to learn about repertoire and a new language”, she said.
When Priscila went to the capital, there were a few women in the “workplace”. But today, even though it’s still a chauvinist space, there are a lot more women in that space, and Brigante is happy because she is seeing many girls starting their careers. She states: “What fails is the opportunities on tests, orchestras, and universities”. Therefore, she always tries to work with new female musicians to help them in some way. “I believe that there’s no gender issue in music. What matters is the professional, the human being making your work”.
“Difficulties exist in every branch. The important thing is to have a strengthened environment, and to work with a collective because we don’t do anything alone. So working with respect for diversity helps a lot with the day-to-day difficulties that do exist”, Priscila talked about the difficulties that can be seen in this reality. She ended by saying that art has the potential to transform everything in an inclusive place and the world into a place that’s more harmonious, pretty, and diverse.
A ‘GRACE’ OF WOMAN
Graça Cunha, 53, is a singer, publicity announcer, festival jury, and dubbing artist. She is the voice in the song “Ciclo Sem Fim”, the Brazilian 2019 version of “Circle Of Life” by The Lion King. Furthermore, she worked with big personalities like Rita Lee, Jota Quest and Skank and was part of the Altas Horas band, a famous Brazilian show, from 2005 to 2016.
In Graça’s home, no one was a music professional. But her siblings always were passionate about it, and then they started to work in the art industry. Her brother with cinema, her sister with dance, and her with theater and painting — but music was very important for all of them. Although she is a music professional today, Cunha graduated in Physical Education in 1992 and, at college, she had a band with her friends. Then, she heard about a musical theater company, did an audition there and she got a spot, in 1993. There, the doors to the music industry opened for her.
I asked her how hard it was to be in this industry as a black woman. The answer was surprising because she said that she had more open doors than closed ones. “I have a firm stance, I go after what I want”, she said. Graça also told about a situation when a director wanted her to wear “more fashion pieces”, but she didn’t do what was trendy — she wanted to do whatever she wanted. And I think that is what made Graça who she is today and made her grow so fast to become this amazing woman.
Graça ended the interview by saying that every day she sees new voices beginning in this world and that makes her happy. Although she thinks that is harder to grow today than in her times. She also told me that this year she will release new projects which she is working on today!
Meeting these wonderful women made me see how music can impact lives in different ways. Being a woman is not as easy as we think, and knowing about them is an inspiration for us to not give up on anything that we dream about. I’m so glad to have met them and written about their lives.
The article above was edited by Camila Lutfi.
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