Batida, by the way, Pedro Coquenão created a remarkable musical universe that cuts across all kinds of audiences. His performances reflect his creative vision of his African origins and the world, through a rhythmic and compelling sound combined with a very strong message that leaves no one indifferent.
From what I saw at the concerts you offspring sort of pseudonyms in musical terms. There is a musical universe in which your various alter-egos, batida, dj, pedro create different sounds, including your personal convictions, so how does it works your creative process?
Pedro Coquenão: In practice ends up being my perspective. What I find is that you yourself can have multiple views, have different experiences. In a concert is easy to reach the stage, put yourself in the role of artist, been in the scenario, say something similar to what you did the day before, people love it, but there is a gap, a formality, they applaud at the end and then I'm out of here, this tire me a bit, bores me and it becomes too repetitive. I like to strive for perfection rather than have a sterile something that does not fit, it's not alive. I always end up having an organization, a test method with each artist who want to create individually work with me separately and when it is to be on stage with them all, depending of time, the public, the history of the site where I am and the concert. But however comfortable it may be I cannot forget my friends who are imprisoned in Angola. It may even be a buzzword artists using this type of appeal, but always believe there will be someone who will know something else and the only peaceful weapon to counteract some of these injustices that happen in the world is passing information. If only one or two people have been curious and have signed the petition Amnesty International, or made a google on the subject is already good, at least they heard the name of these people, on television, or radio and will have to face the subject that is not totally strange and for me it is to break barriers. If all this is done with a more dj character, more artistic, or performer is a bit of the tools I use to express myself at the time, or cause anything because our life is too short and do what's more comfortable, does not reflect me. I do not want to be the best, I am interested in creating works that provoke strong reactions in people. I'd rather have in the public someone who hated it, while I do wish to attract this kind of people and not want to create that kind of feeling, but I like to risk it and others who loved who felt that was special in some way, than an entire audience found it all pleasant. The heteronyms or aliases end up being my changes departing from my way of being in the day-to-day. I have moments I do boring things and other days when I have to be creative, is not the objective, it is the noun to create new things.
How does all this work in practice?
PC: When I work with an artist I end up investing a lot of my time to talk because I think it is very important to know the people, places for them where they step and that perhaps causes a lot of inconsistency, puts the very need for plural beings, even when it concerns myself and I have to do it. I do not know what is to be better, or what is more interesting, then, try to do on stage what I went through life to see in shows and think what people look for is vulnerability, it is to expose-the public go to see sincerity, honesty and talent. As I do not know what is my real talent, I show everything I've got and let the people decide what they like. This show also includes artists who will bring something to the stage and it tastes great.
Speaking of these creative partnerships, you underline that you saw a lot of concerts this is how you get to know their work, or emerges almost spontaneously to know them personally?
PC: Emerges in several ways. Let's talk about the concert which is the most honest, I needed a drummer, usually work with two or three who are always busy with other bands, so I asked a contact I have in England the names of some musicians and links on their work. I like to see the videos that have less views, which were recorded in less glamorous places, like in a room playing, which is where I like to see people, because a big stage is easy all goes well, now when the person is alone, It is when you see what the musician has to give. Tom Skinner, called my attention by his drumming gift and the curriculum itself, also he is the drummer of one of my favorite bands, the "Owiny Sigoma Band", then invited him to rehearse in my garage for a few days followed and we worked well, apparently he was also familiar with my music. From gig to gig he begins to realize better and better what I want, I want to give a little of it, not just to replicate. The Bernardino Tavares, the higher dancer, I needed someone who came from the Angolan traditional dances, but also had something of the street, which was not a formal dancer, this was my first need, then went to see the trials of an association in Lisbon called " Batoto Yetu Portugal "that teaches children and adults dancing Angolan traditional music. I'm not sure if I was there for three months or longer, but at first they did not give me much notice, because they did not realize what I was there, they did not understand what that guy was doing by only looking and during this period I meet them without them even knowing me, in the end I invited two, one was the Bernardino and a female dancer, Daniela Sanha. I started working with both touring aside, based on what they had that was the traditional dances for other things that interested me more, working the choreography individually and try to take advantage of more interesting things. I try to challenge them to get out of their comfort zone, something that never explored because it is obvious to me, for example, the Bernardino was a woman on stage, he had never done it and now likes to put the skin of this character, is a time of fun for the dancer. Gonçalo Cabral arises because was looking for a more contemporary dancer and first I met André Cabral who is one of the revelations in terms of comtemporary dance, he's amazing and tried for weeks to do something different, put him to dance African music, despite to be a descendant of Angolans was pulling it from contemporary for something dirtier, more dusty, less perfect and maybe worked it for a long time. There was a show I met his twin brother, who is Gonzalo and I realized that he also liked what his brother was doing and wanted to participate, then I told him that one day he would come up that opportunity to invite him to do the shows and so there was a chance where Andre could not do a show, I invited him and continued to work. Catarina Limão emerged as VJ, she joined the area of video through the work I've done with my own pictures collection, I liked having someone on stage who manipulates them in real time, though she came from the radio and liked photography and image too for a time she did that. Then I was pushing her to do other things, she began to sing and dance it was something that she never done before, was a dreams of life nowadays no longer makes videos, only sings, dances and plays repercussion that is what she develops more now. Bruno Lobato is another good example, is in the mix, has worked with "Terrakota" and produced the "nigga poison" I like a lot. He knows what I need in terms of sound, because I can't be in front of the stage listening to me, I have someone who knows me and what I like a lot, if not. Manuel Pinheiro is also part of the gang, he makes the sound of Noiserv, I've worked with him for a long time, that essentially was me as a DJ and he on the rebound. The people I worked with were not my friends, but I think I become friend of everyone, deep down there must be mutual love and respect for this to also translate on stage, the idea is to be almost a family gathering, or a wheel of the village to commune.
Your sound is irresistible to the public who wants to participate and dance, however, the lyrics have a very strong message, are almost polar opposites that do not match, it is your provocative side then?
PC: Maybe. We are all a bit incongruous and coherence is not a quality of man, we tried, but never are. I think it is beautiful this attempt of man, from my behalf there is only one test to be minimally coherent and decent, because other wise I will be boring. We all have things that make us interesting, but politicians, priests and parents try to pass this image that is not real, deep down no one can be perfect. I like a lot of convergence, to be together, to create a kind of calm, of peace, of meeting and celebration. But then I think nothing of this is funny unless there is some excitement.
But do not you think that your message gets lost because you talk about strong themes, your remember your friends trapped in Angola because they gathered to talk about the word freedom, on the other hand, your music is so contagious and irresistible that provoques in the public an explosive and spontaneous behavior, to dance, their instinctive joy and no need to do anything.
PC: Good, this is the hope and salvation, because if we only have to think about our problems and just deal with them we do not live. We demand these cycles, to think, to be dense and worry about things. What I mean is that it makes me very glad that people have been lifted and danced with this songs, this honesty with themselves for not just been sitting and withstand its consistency in formality until the end and have lost some posture. This is also a form of interaction, it interests me very much to cause discomfort, making traveling, or thinking, as well as people to be happy, to get loose, shake their hips, especially in the more northern part of the planet and Portugal is very close these countries Angola, Brazil and Mozambique. At the same time we are very far away as the way they deal with sexuality and sensuality. If only on this regard people embrace each other with respect is already very good, the body is very liberating and we need to loose up our image. The song "crazy" seems almost a mardi gras music, it refers to be crazy and reckless, but it is a moment of lightness that we needed. If we have the whole day to philosophize, to think, to be political the many ways, we are very boring and unhappy, and happiness is part of this release, the subvertation of things, when we are happy, free and generous make the world move forward, not just reflection. But I agree with you can lose a lot of my message to someone else more distracted. I always think that it does not reache everyone, because it is impossible, but there is that someone to whom the message gets over, I that one to like a lot, but if there is another one who likes a lot more the show touched them.
You say that you are Angolan, you present African music, on stage you bring dancers with African rhythms, but you do not live in Angola. You live in Portugal and who looks at you never say that you are Angolan, then how do you view your identity?
PC: I feel that this is much more uncomfortable for those who deal with it than me. I do not have to say I am Angolan when I have to say it, or to cause something or I'm Portuguese, but I end up defending Portugal when my Angolan friends criticize Europe and our country. If people talk of Angolans using many of the known stereotypes, I also say that I am Angolan. In practice, I feel neither one thing nor the other, to already be more is never to be less, only those who want to be consistent in their identity, who do not know what they are because it corresponds to a conservative thought and can be confused with their nationality I do not like it, I think are ridiculous feelings, very narrow-minded, very limited in time. The concept of countries is very recent and do not know how the world will be here for some time and to grab a flag, does not reach me or tells me absolutely nothing. Even when I want to say that I am Portuguese, it means so much, that it is Angolan, Brazilian, or Goan, which can be descended from Muslims, Romans or Jews, there is so much involved in the country's process of creating and an identity, how can we claim that we are waterproof? I never quite know what this nation notion is. It is beautiful to see a football game and cheer up the team, to have a sense of belonging, but I think this notion comes from the family we choose. Then, extrapolating this notion of identity and nationalism is what we are here to do all, I'm more interested to know what we are doing together and when I have to think of me, I will act naturally without thinking much like ants and how bees do they without much thought build structures, these animals end up having a great creative potential to create ways for their livelihood. When I have to reduce my life experience and define me as a person, yes, I have to recognize that for all intents and purposes has been a very short passage, at least it goes very fast and in the little time that I am here just for being born in Angola, grown in Lisbon and the people to give me references from other sites, so this is part of my way of writing. My definition of time has to do with being born in this country and have lived in another, although always have heard of Angola, which to me is most immediate and where the limit comes in talking about the people who are my closest, the Angolan society and Portuguese. I think Brazil is a meeting point that has not been used, Lisbon strangely is been that for all these people, the Angolans, Mozambicans, Cape Verdeans and even Brazilians, but I think my next work will have more potential if done in Brazil, because it has all kinds of people, especially of African origin. Africa is still a bit forgotten in Brazilian culture, is seen as a tidy area is not part of the whole, yet many of these descendants do not have the sense of their link to the African continent, this blood connection. The Brazilian nation has the potential to bring the Portuguese-speaking world, whatever it is, has this power of aggregation, joining people and use language in such a creative way, it is different and rhythmically is very interesting, it seems that this closer to life, as in Angola, they create a lot of words and invent new verbs up if necessary and I like that.
This is your next step rediscover all this wealth in Brazil? Because so far you were all these years on a long tour.
PC: Yeah. In Angola I do not have so much to discover, because of the state of the country and how it works, does not allow someone who has a minimally free speech may have shows there, does not make sense, do not count even they invite me, because there are always constraints. One day I will do a show on my own, but do not know when it will happen. It also limites me this exploration of walking backwards, so I have to move forward, engage with the public in Europe is very good, the shows are of great quality, many artists playing, you are required to prepare the show well because are taking placed and compared to artists of a high level and that's good because it makes you grow, but I always liked to return to Brazil. Coincidentally or not, that was something unpredictable, my first show ever was there. No one makes a first show in a country like this, because of the distances and the ticket prices, but I was there because I had done a documentary with a friend of mine, Iconoplasta, which is from Angola at the invitation come from the Cineport Festival in João Pessoa, they asked me if I had more projects and told them I was finishing my first album, I was asked to present it and the reaction was amazing. Somehow touched me like this music that traveled to Angola, via Lisbon and stopping in Brazil which shows that is not mine, is from all of us and all this made me want to go back, in a way the country has grown more free, because it is larger, has more diversity, which is also a part of Angola and Portugal and can speak the same language which is an advantage that you cannot measure. Even if the tongue is different from the language, as in northern Brazil, where I did not feel big difference there is that need to "jingar" and survive, even "capoeira" come across from the Atlantic, it is something that has more to do with the body that it is something we do not talk so much about and we have a lot in common. So there is this facility in communicating, it is as if they were cousins, or brothers separated at birth, when a country concept is brother is beautiful, provided it is not in this political context, it makes sense.
