Brazilian Artist Alcides Neto Shares New Single ‘Canforá’, Announces Debut Album

The composer and multi-instrumentalist is performing at WOMADelaide in March.

Image James Morris

Emerging Brazilian composer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Alcides Neto has today shared his new single ‘Canforá’, the second track taken from his forthcoming debut album Amu, set for release on Friday 27 February via Music in Exile (pre-order here).

Taking influence from samba music, ‘Canforá’ merges gentle rhythms with immersive storytelling, with the song detailing the power of camphor leaves and the love he has for his grandmother. It’s the type of song you can’t help but nod your head along to the beat, even if the lyrics are sung in Portuguese and you have no idea what he’s singing.

“Canforá comes from the camphor tree,” Neto explains about the song’s title. “My grandma used to keep camphor leaves soaking in ethanol next to her bed and would offer it to me for lots of different purposes. The lyrics playfully talk about how powerful camphor is and how it can heal anything. Like many of my compositions, this one is also inspired by my grandmother.”

Neto has been working on Amu for several years, beginning the record during lockdown and finishing the writing in early 2023. The album’s eight tracks are inspired by his childhood growing up in the countryside of São Paulo state, Brazil.

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Following the release of his last single ‘Amuleto’, which received immediate airplay on both fbi radio and PBS FM, Neto performed a special show at the Cross Street Music Hall in Brunswick last Saturday (January 24) to celebrate the release of ‘Canforá’.

Those keen to catch Neto live can do so at Canberra’s National Multicultural Festival on Friday 6 February and Adelaide’s WOMADelaide on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 March.

‘Canforá’ by Alcides Neto is out now. Listen here. Amu drops Friday 27 February via Music in Exile. Pre-order here. Check out the album artwork and tracklisting below.

Amu Tracklist

1. Ari, Sergio, Melo, Marco, Merda

2. Canfora

3. Carmario

4. Darebin

5. Amuleto

6. Chao

7. Essa Noite

8. Role de imigrante

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