Dance was Nara Couto's first language — guided by her father, Zebrinha, who gave her the meaning of movement itself. That movement would cross her entire life and eventually become sound. From the constant influence of Ilê Aiyê to her time with the extraordinary Orquestra Afrosinfônica, the transition from dance to music came naturally. From there emerged her own work: Retinta, a cry of identity. Ori, a dive into ancestrality — featuring acclaimed musicians from Bahia including Mateus Aleluia and Luedji Luna. Afro-Brazilian percussion, striking guitars, and touches of electronics form the foundation of a sound that is both root and reinvention.
Africanness grows ever more central to the artist. Africa is no longer a distance — it is a reunion. The first country she visited was Togo, where she lived in reality what had previously pulsed through her Bahia. For more than ten years, she has deepened that connection through the project "Outras Áfricas."
As an artist, Nara defines herself as a collector of sensations. An observer, she holds experiences until, at the right moment, they are reborn as art — guided by the time of creation, a time also revered within the universe of Afro-Brazilian religions. Her art is memory, recovery, presence, and path. It is identity under construction, a waterline carrying learned gifts. A constant reconnection — of a yesterday that for Nara is always a today that tastes of tomorrow.
An invitation to meet in the islands of Cabo Verde, where she came to find one of her greatest musical inspirations — Sara Tavares. Nara Couto on the Atlantic Music Expo stage will be more than music — experiences told through concepts.
