Sessa

Sessa (aka Sérgio Sayeg) is fascinated by “the mess” of music, “the crooked translations that music gets when it travels.” A cultural cannibal like the iconic Brazilian Tropicalistas from the late sixties, Sessa unapologetically and seamlessly mashes musical references, from rock to jazz to samba and soul. “A bit more nocturnal, open ended, crooked funky,” the São Paulo artist’s newest album, Pequena Vertigem de Amor (Lil’ Vertigo of Love), channels the late seventies slinky sophistication of Brazil’s MPB scene mixed with psychedelic soul without straying from his sonic signature of acoustic guitar, Afro-Brazilian percussion and the dialogue between Sessa’s distinctive vocals and familial female choir. Sessa’s sound is rooted in Brazilian musical traditions and informed by modern and eclectic global influences. Grandeza (Greatness) introduced Sergio’s musical voice and aesthetic as Sessa, nylon-strung guitar in hand, flanked by Afro-Brazilian percussion and a chorus of female vocalists presented in a radically new style. For his sophomore album, Estrela Acesa (Burning Star), Sessa expanded his sonic palette with intoxicating rhythm, strings, and dynamic soundscapes that complement Sessa’s plaintive voice. While Grandeza’s acoustic minimalism sounded more like ethnographic folk recordings peppered with bursts of cosmic free jazz, Estrela Acesa’s rhythm section resembled a typical rock band with the addition of electric bass and drum kit.