D’agua Negra are led by a trio of vocalists from Brazil’s Amazonian city Manaus and their electronic soul-jazz is a must hear on new EP for Amplifica Records

D’agua Negra release their debut this month and their electronic soul-jazz EP is a must-listen – “a tale of resilience”. The band are led by a trio of vocalists from the Amazonian city Manaus – with the band named after the black river running through it – and all are shining bright on Erógena, it’s a gorgeous take on Brazilian soul music. Acopalices (Apocalypse) from the breakout EP is set for release on November 23rd via Amplifica Records.

The band’s first recording together is a response to the cases of Covid that broke out in their home city of Manaus in 2020. The three singers – Clariana Brandão Arruda, Bruno Barrozo Belchior and Melka Franco – worked away on their music during lockdown. The track name Acopalices refers to a meme that went viral in Brazil during the pandemic about the Covid situation in Manaus. The dreamlike video of Acopalices was recorded in a room with little furniture, a scenario that reflects the absence and isolation caused by the pandemic.

Bruno says: “I opened the pores, undid the knots, painted my face and reinvented myself…I had no time to succumb to the loneliness and desperation.”

Reflecting on the painful images she had seen, Melka, alone in her apartment, surrounded only by cats and plants, began to write Acopalices. “It was during moments of reflection that I closed my eyes and saw three suns,” she says. “I never imagined that I would be part of this group, but I felt, at that moment, a desire to have more life because one sun alone was not being able, at that time, to supply all the needs.”

The new EP features a range of influences, aesthetic nods to black music and references including D’Angelo, the original Brazilian funkster Tim Maia shine as well as breakbeat and hip hop.