Lucas Santtana

Lucas Santtana

Sem Nostalgia, the title of Lucas Santtanas 2009 release, might still serve as an apt description of the philosophy driving the Brazilian singer and producer, one of the central forces in the Brazilian new wave. No nostalgia. Of course, his music contains references to the golden age of tropicana, psychedelic samba, baile funk and the Brazilian guitar tradition reaching back to the 1950s. But, much in the same way as the trailblazers of those eras were not afraid to mix traditional elements with new ideas, Santtana wants to push forward. Just listen to the newly remastered 3 Sessions in a Greenhouse, a seminal release which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2021. The effortless and joyful way his Brazilian roots mix with Jamaican dub, rock and rap still feels fresh and surprising. Since then, he has continued to expand the boundaries of his music, both sonically and lyrically.

In 2021, he also released the acoustic EP O Céu é Velho Há Muito Tempo. It was a spoken riot, portraying the current situation in Brazil where the government has made an assault on human rights, making enemies out of minorities, indigenous people and the rich natural resources of the country, serving as a warning about the reactionary potential inherent in nostalgia. “We’re living in a time in which everybody is talking loudly. I thought the time had come to whisper into people’s ears,” he has said. The result is a stark and powerful example of Santtanas musical instincts, and his way of expressing universal truths in deeply personal ways, at a moment where nothing could be more important.

In Oslo Lucas Santtana will present some new songs that are in the making for his next album to be released in January 2023, by No Format Records.