# Currently listening ### 5th Aug 2025 **respeita januário/xote das meninas/eu só quero um xodó** second year without festa junina, the festivity I miss the most. this medley warms the heart and brings me just close enough; só alegria  ___ ### 4th Aug 2025 **deslocado (NAPA)** this song about distance and longing (saudade!) hits harder now that i’ve been away from home for a year <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/31CsSZ9KlQmEu0JvWSkM3j?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 24th Jul 2025 **cудно (Борис Рижий)** i spoke recently with a russian in the diaspora here in Berlin, and she shared how hard it is to stay true to her conscience, far from family, in a place where everything feels so tangled. that same week i found this song—dark and heavy with meaning, an endless sadness. even the brutalist building on the cover felt part of it, everything so synesthetic <iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/1SHB1hp6267UK9bJQUxYvO?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 02 Jul 2025 **music is my hot hot sex (CSS)** i heard this track again and the nostalgia hit hard. annoyingly, there's so much hate teasing their indie vibe… fuck it. também sou hype, porra! they and adriano absolutely smashed it <iframe data-testid="embed-iframe" style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/34LCMPGuYjzcBzEMnFg6yW?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 14th May 2025 **a loira (Aestus, João Gabriel)** it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure, but i can’t resist these smooth remixes of fuleiro stuff (sorry, can’t translate that) <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/2q3bj29ojS6RwF9vkIDHov?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 12th May 2025 **bike ride (Habe)** habe says this song is about overthinking and the anxiety of projecting too far into the future. i feel the same way. when i bike, the cool breeze help me leave my worries behind and just explore <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/4qTZeHF0jQeWG7phKCH9qM?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 11th May 2025 **final form (Sampa The Great)** i discovered this in johannesburg. she’s from zambia and her confident wordplay and steady beat caught me off guard. it’s bold, and it’s great music  ___ ### 09th May 2025 **são paulo (Mallu Magalhães)** with the announcement of the new pope came a twitter debate: is he American? latino? the first American pope? he’s all of it. born in the US, spent forty years in Peru, Peruvian citizen. some think skin or background makes you belong. i like that identity grows from where you live and who you share life with. he’s latino. it reminds me of this song. i love Mallu. i grew up with her music. she holds a special place in my memories. this song about São Paulo hits me when i’m far away. you are who you live with, i guess  ___ ### 08th May 2025 **cuidando de longe (Gal Costa, Marília Mendonça)** it's so heartbreaking that they both passed away. they were treasures and it's so special that they made this together. this song gives me a subtle happiness and the lyrics are such a delight... so sweet  ___ ### 07th May 2025 **pyjamas (Benny Sings, Remi Wolf)** i love Benny and Remi. this song is full of playful references and it’s so tasty to listen to. Berlin is beautiful in spring  ___ ### 06th May 2025 **hopopono (GoGo Penguin)** yesterday i biked a lot through springtime berlin. the air was not really warm yet but still soft, the sky was clear blue and the trees had fresh green leaves. this song fits the scene perfectly. the deep bass felt like the open sky, the simple melodies like the gentle breeze and the live drums kept me moving. this is how the city feels now and i couldnt ask for anything more  ___ ### 05th May 2025 **bag of bones (Felix Laband)** discovered this guy while living in joburg. his minimalist electronic compositions often remind me of spring there, when the jacarandas bloom all over the city. listening this brings back those memories, and i hope to return some day  ___ ### 04th May 2025 **i should go (James Vincent McMorrow, Kenny Beats)** kenny beats led me here. this song and its looping video perfectly capture the lazy pull to stay in and the regret that hits when you do  ___ ### 02th May 2025 **q.s.a. (Jaloo, Gaby Amarantos)** the clip is beautiful. filmed in alter do chão, a river town in pará, it shows a place that feels both sacred and lived in. both artists are from the state. i've always liked them (though jaloo's recent phase feels off to me... his debut was much better). what keeps me interested is how they stay close to a paraense rhythm without trying to smooth it out. it's bold, layered, messy in a good way. they remix, but never erase  ___ ### 30th Apr 2025 **bint elkhandaq (Mashrou’ Leila)** i was briefly _obsessed_ with this band when i first heard them. their creativity is outrageous. i can't help but wonder how many bands like this _could_ exist if the middle east weren't so crushed by authoritarianism. how many songs never written? this one feels like a letter to everything that confines... the weight of poverty, tradition, but it's not a cry for help; it's that quieter kind of defiance. here's the pain, here's the betrayal, it's always been this way. _so what?_ not exactly a liberation, but a shift. i think that's what mashrou' leila kept doing: turning pressure into movement in a region where doing so costs you. and it did cost them (they disbanded in 2022). when i listen now, every note says: we stayed, we fought, and when we couldn't anymore, we left. but first, we said it  ___ ### 29th Apr 2025 **adrenaline (Rachel Chinouriri)** spotify threw this at me and i'm grateful. i love when a song sounds all upbeat and breezy, but the lyrics are quietly falling apart inside  ___ ### 28th Apr 2025 **adrenaline (Rachel Chinouriri)** been looping this one while biking through vienna at night. sorry berlin you’re cool, but vienna? vienna is greener, cleaner, and the façades look like someone _washed_ them this morning... i’m yimby everywhere _except_ vienna. if not changing a single thing means poor people can’t afford to live here… then i’m sorry. it’s too perfect. nothing needs to change  ___ ### 26th Apr 2025 **tenemos todo (Mathieu des Longchamps)** came to visit a new friend for his birthday. he was surrounded by people who love him. it was a sweet weekend. i’m always inspired by people who nurture affection. at the end of the day, it’s all we really have. i once read out there: beauty is where you find it, and i saw plenty of it here <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/3YvpX53QpGXrbLJZCLO8Zn?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 25th Apr 2025 **terra da saudade (Mayra Andrade)** i love this album. mayra andrade embodies an ongoing cultural exchange between portugal and lusophone africa, in which brazil is just a distant, old echo. this song was written by luísa sobral, inspired by the work of mozambican writer mia couto.  ___ ### 24th Apr 2025 **esperar pra ver (Evinha)** this one gives me that nervous little thrill you feel right before starting something new. a soft build-up, gentle swing, such a beautiful mood  ___ ### 23th Apr 2025 **vumbora amar (Adriana Calcanhotto, Fran, Ubunto)** it’s hilarious how adriana can turn _anything_ into poetry. this one was originally a 90s party anthem by chiclete com banana but now? suddenly it hits different (and wtf amazing music video). goosebumps lol  ___ ### 22th Apr 2025 **desmancha-prazeres (EU.clides)** was going through those spotify “your year in music” playlists and stumbled upon this one. i was completely hooked on this track back in 2023. crazy how hearing it again brings a full-on déjà vu. btw _desmancha prazeres_ loosely translates as _killjoy_, but the portuguese term has a softer meaning  ___ ### 21th Apr 2025 **boa sorte / good luck (Vanessa da Mata, Ben Harper)** yeah yeah, this one's ancient. probably in every 'new mpb' playlist since 2007. but it dumps on my shuffle every now and then and.. pqp. it's still so good  ___ ### 20th Apr 2025 **photo id (Remi Wolf)** this one brings me back to those early pandemic days when no one really knew what was coming, and somehow we could still look for energy online without feeling completely drained. such a weird time... btw remi is just so fun  ___ ### 18th Apr 2025 **pide piso (Bajofondo)** _río de la plata_ energy. easily my favorite band when it comes to this tango–electronic fusion. so much fury. me encanta  ___ ### 15th Apr 2025 **legs (Jungle)** a band of ecuatorians in new york made this gem back in 2015 and it never gets old. the album’s called _altitud_ and it’s perfect... smooth, playful, just _buena onda_ all around. this clip is timeless  ___ ### 12th Apr 2025 **aquamarine (Jeremy Blake, arranged by David Bruce)** was listening to levi.sct earlier and it reminded me of this gem by david bruce... [easily the coolest music channel on youtube](https://www.youtube.com/@DBruce). the process is just as beautiful as the result. he takes an electronic piece by jeremy blake and reimagines it for orchestra. it’s stunning. with AI, i hope things like this become way easier to make. i want _albums and albums_ of this kind of orchestral remix. abundance!!  ___ ### 11th Apr 2025 **gypsy woman (levi.sct)** levi.sct is a german artist blending traditional piano with contemporary electronic music. not bad! always good to see people remixing, playing with content and structure, etc  ___ ### 07th Apr 2025 **oursoul (Hindi Zahra)** i don’t understand a word of “Oursoul,” but it sounds absolutely beautiful. i’ve always liked music in arabic, but there’s something especially moving about songs in tamazight... it’s a reminder of how diverse the “arab world” really is. every simplification comes at the cost of losing texture, losing difference. hindi zahra’s voice carries so much grace. love her  ___ ### 06th Apr 2025 **mata sede (La Dame Blanche, Amanda Magalhães)** la dame blanche is pure elegance (and she plays the flute _so well_ when singing live... didn’t see that coming). i discovered her on [COLORS](https://www.youtube.com/@COLORSxSTUDIOS) a few years ago (show me a better place to find badass brown artists from the global south, I dare you). loved this collab with brazilian amanda magalhães (also new to me)  ___ ### 05th Apr 2025 **french bossa nova (Ladji Mouflet, aupinard)** the state that lives in my heart in Brazil is Minas Gerais. amazing food, interesting people. pão de queijo is a snack from there... some of you might’ve heard of it. not just delicious, what I love most is the _mineiro_ attitude toward it: tradition? nah. eat it however you want, stuff whatever inside. Kinda libertarian vibes (not shocking from a state born out of a tax revolt i guess?). why am I saying this? because the _pão de queijo mindset_ is how I feel about cultural appropriation: screw the rules, remix it all. remixing is honoring. no such thing as cultural appropriation. maybe a bad take — but that’s what bullying is for. anyway, this remix is beautiful  ___ ### 01th Apr 2025 **ETA + Vinte Vinte (Branko remix Serra da Estrela DJ Set)** not the biggest electronic head, but Branko? that guy’s different... his sets in Portugal are stunning: killer music with killer views. this version of [ETA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa7Jzp-sYyU) mashed with [Vinte Vinte](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmvskeCUdV8) is just too good (start at 4:26)  ___ ### 26th Mar 2025 **was uns high macht (Provinz)** there's something special about coming across a great song in german: these little finds make learning the language so much easier. I can't help but think: for music to flourish, this country needs more young people, more immigrants, more stories. So many things yet to be born <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/5UAGxcNL4V1ZjssyiHlJvI?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 23th Mar 2025 **figa (Mariana Froes cover of Alcione, Trinix Remix)** what a beautiful remix of Alcione’s _[Figa de Guiné](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVjgZ-CpVvs)_ by Mariana Froes. I’d never heard the original before… so many rich references to [[Afro-Brazilian Religiosity|candomblé]] I wasn’t familiar with. what a great job. Kudos to Mariana for introducing me to this  ___ ### 20th Mar 2025 **blue (lavender, nomoon)** YOU RESILIENT BASTARDS, WE MADE IT. the dog days are over i guess!!! it’s springtime. the light is back. a friend once called me a “light-obsessed optimist”... he was so right. i’m thriving. fuck german winter. for god’s sake  ___ ### 19th Mar 2025 **é preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo (Erasmo Carlos)** still under the influence of _i'm still here_, and I can't stop thinking about how i had never come across this great work of art before... feeling bits of guilt i guess. so many classics still to discover in this life - and so much crap that is constantly competing for attention with the things that really matter <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/1V1taPaEp2dntrUKCAnnw5?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 17th Mar 2025 **take me back to piauí (Juca Chaves)** i watched _i'm still here_ at the cinema last week and it's impossible not to be tempted to spend the week digging up these 70s treasures about the sorrows of the emigrant (sdds de casa!) ... btw wonderful soundtrack, subtle and elegant film  ___ ### 11th Mar 2025 **perfect (Sam i, Tropkillaz, BIA, MC Pikachu)** they unearthed this song in the airpod commercial this year with Pedro Pascal... absolutely great  ___ ### 20th Feb 2025 **viento de arrabal (Los Bosques)** usually i enjoy the fusion of tango with literally anything. in this case with electronic and ambient music. se siente la lejanía... divina la cosa  ___ ### 10th Feb 2025 **la tortura (Judeline)** preciosa edición que me recomendó Spotfy y me pareció preciosa. no conocía la artista y esta rebuena la chica. muy buena versión <iframe style="border-radius:12px" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/5WW6WJUxZsfHF7Na5wwE02?utm_source=generator" width="100%" height="352" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" loading="lazy"></iframe> ___ ### 30th Dec 2024 **não sinto nada (Anavitória)** these chords have been giving me a little more life to wake up in these cold and dark winter mornings. I think it's beautiful how the repeated denial and the detail of the justification sound like a confession of guilt  ___ ### 25th Dec 2024 **mother's love (Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, by The Vernon Spring)** being away from family at christmas is not easy. I was surrounded by friends and had lots of fun, but nothing replaces being home. this is how i feel the joyful melancholy in this song  ___ ### 17th Dec 2024 **getting older (Hayelala)** i've been thinking about this song on my birthdays for a few years now. This is the first time I'm growing older away from home, and I found something new in how it portrays aging, family relationships, internal conflicts... it's a beautiful song