BRENDA

In this interview, we delve into the world of BRENDA, who share his inspirations and unique perspectives.

Brenda

1. Introduce Yourself to the Casawi Community: What drives you? What's your artistic vision, and what sets you apart from the crowd?

My name is Manuel (he/him), I'm 26 years old, they call me Mav, and my music project is called Brenda.

As a 3D artist, producer, and architect, I believe one of the things that most motivates me when making music is the union of image and sound. I perceive songs visually, I try to materialize them not only in rhythms and melodies but also in images that, both in my imagination and in the minds of my listeners, can define my style and versatility. That's where the differentiating factor lies, perhaps still in progress, but which deeply moves me when I achieve that kind of coherence. As I learn new techniques in the musical field, I can increasingly build my own intangible place with colors, shapes, and movements.

I don't like feeling pigeonholed into a style, and I consider that to be a way of thinking that always brings me learning. I consider myself a grasshopper, constantly absorbing information from the niches and movements around me, always yearning to define myself without the ambition of being transcendental, but rather to connect, even once, with people through my artistic work.

2. City Inspirations: How has your city influenced your artistic path? Share how its streets, culture, and energy have molded your work.

Bogotá—the city where I was born, raised, and currently live—is a city with an impressive cultural absorption capacity. For some time now, I've seen my city as an organism that takes in sounds and rhythms from every corner of the country and even the region. It's an advantage to reside in such a cultural epicenter because it allows me to fall in love with new rhythms very often. Its energy is conflicted; sometimes it's a hurried city, and this is expressed a lot in the speed demanded by nightlife, especially when talking about electronic music. But at the same time, that energy carries with it an exceptional audience that, once hooked on your project, will dance with you until the end of the world.

As an architect, I also have a spatial perspective of my city as an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Diverse neighborhoods, massive and chaotic urban fabrics, with different pulsations—all of these things, even the negative ones, have shaped me as an artist. You begin to understand little by little the line between the full and the empty through its public space, or its endless fences, and the desirable Cerros Orientales that are always there reminding you of the complex and wonderful ecosystem we have.

3. Creative Process: What fuels your creativity? Whether it's a ritual, a muse, or a moment of clarity, we're keen to learn.

Dreams:

I often dream my music into existence. After immersing myself in the work of artists I admire, my ideas take shape in vivid dreams or during quiet moments when I compose mentally. Upon waking, I find myself brimming with fresh concepts that I can begin sketching out on my computer. Mornings are my peak creative hours, fueled by the intense sonic imagery I've experienced during the night.

Travel:

I also relish the opportunity to discover new rhythms while on tour. This is an indispensable ritual for me. Whether I'm on a plane or a bus in any given city, I delve deep into the local club culture, exploring the styles that have shaped or are shaping it. Afterward, I'm often left with countless questions that, while I could Google, I prefer to ask the people around me who undoubtedly have fascinating stories to share. This cultural exchange provides me with new tools that I don't simply adopt but rather reinterpret to create something uniquely my own.

4. City Lifestyle and Art: How the places you lived influenced your career and work?

It's in this city where I've experienced some of the most significant moments of my life. My studies introduced me to people outside of my immediate family who, to this day, remain vital forces in my life and my interactions within the city.

Moreover, it was in this city, after experiencing several losses in my life, that I learned to grow as a person, to understand loss, obstacles, adulthood, the noise, the silence, and the unique journey each individual takes to find their 'home.' This, for which I owe much to the place where I'm from, has influenced my career as an artist. I haven't been a party person, so I find emotional stimulation in simple things, in questioning the small things that can inspire me: sharing an empanada with my partner at 'La Casona,' a day in Chapinero with my friends, moments at home with my cat and my dad, the places that most remind me of my mother and sister, and countless other cherished moments and spaces.

5. Latest or Upcoming Projects: Give us a glimpse into your current endeavors and what lies ahead on your creative journey.

I'm currently working on two releases. The closest one, "Fermento," is a very short EP where I offer some DJ tools focused on completely blended rhythms: GQOM, Dembow, Techno, Funky, and Tribal/Guaracha. All this under the idea of a sound that has matured in my career, also challenging the simplistic categorization that the North often has of music from the Global South. The more difficult it is to label my music when distributing it, the more I feel I'm defining myself with originality and transcendence, and I think that's what I'm aiming for at the moment.

This EP will be released in the last quarter of the year, along with another release alongside my friend and talented CRRDR, which I also hope to see the light of day soon.

Brenda

Brenda

Brenda

Brenda

Brenda

++

Instagram: @brend4_internacional