Futuro

Somewhere Soul presents the second volume in his Rituals compilation series, this time landing on esteemed label Mr Bongo. A carefully curated collection of exclusive, genre-spanning tracks from his most hotly tipped, contemporary emerging artists and underground forerunners. Across the compilation listeners are taken on a 24-hour journey through Somewhere Soul’s ritualistic listening habits. This first single is a sun-drenched Brazilian beauty courtesy of João Selva, perfect to soundtrack the day. Son of a pastor from Ipanema, Selva was immersed in music from an early age, making his first guitar chords under the watchful eye of bossa nova legend Wanda Sá. Now living in Lyon he’s carved a path as a respected musician, singer and songwriter with a sound rooted in samba, disco, soul and funk. Nestled on the Radiate side of Rituals Volume 02, ‘Futuro’ may seem like a carefree Brazilian boogie cut, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find a wake-up call to the climate chaos heading our way. It’s a track that Selva opted to leave off his summer-soaked, groove-heavy album ONDA as he felt its message was too imperative and contrasting to the flavour of the LP. The chorus to ‘Futuro’ struck Selva on a walk to Pontal de Maracaípe, his longtime beach hangout. “I looked around and the old seaside road was just… gone. Swallowed by the waves”, he says. The song’s final line drops the hard truth: “The tide will rise and it won’t go down”. Lyrically, it’s pure Northeast Brazil - troubadour charm meets capoeira soul. Musically though, it’s got a fresh funk feel with nods to Jorge Ben. Recorded in Lyon at Ginger X Studio, French producer Patchworks’ signature groove ties it all together. In Somewhere Soul’s own words, “This compilation wouldn’t have been an accurate representation of my taste if it didn’t include some Brazilian music, and this track from João Selva is just the sort of breezy, sunny earworm that I could listen to all day”.