São Paulo – Brazilian singer Rhanna is about to release her new single, “Receios,” on digital platforms on November 20. The video for the Arab pop song was filmed on Paulista Avenue in São Paulo. Featuring lyrics in Brazilian Portuguese and an Arab-tinged arrangement, the song features instruments such as the lute and the darbuka, played by the Lebanese descendant musician Sami Bordokan. The song’s authors are Leandro de Lima and Rafa Marchetti. Apart from singing, Rhanna produced the song.
Rhanna told ANBA that “Receios” (the rough equivalent of ‘fears’) is a romantic song influenced by contemporary Arab music. Her first single, “Anarruanda,” is more uptempo and dancelike. She said “Receios” is slower and more melancholy because it’s about a breakup.
“Leandro de Lima and Rafa Marchetti wrote the lyrics and the melody, and the original version is almost a samba, because they write a lot of samba and pagode songs. That’s where my role as a music producer comes in. I’ll envision what I want to do with the material, and then I enlisted Sami Bordokan to incorporate the Arab element into the music.”
The song is about being wary of bumping into a former lover. “Because the world is such a small place, and that’s bound to happen. She still has feelings for him, but ultimately it’s up to fate to decide,” Rhanna explains.
The video features footage of Paulista Ave. at night, including aerial views. It includes shots of the Trianon-Masp metro station and the building of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), which had the Lebanese flag projected onto it last September to honor the victims of the Port of Beirut blast in August. “I am truly sorry about what happened in Beirut. I can’t say that it’s a homage, although I’d like for it to be, but that would be too pretentious. But it’s a way to show reverence, not to mention that it’s a beautiful image.” disse.
Before pursuing a career in music, Rhanna used to work in the corporate world, and she was a fan of Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram. “When I decided to get into music, I wanted to bring that Arab identity, so I’ll use Western scales with Arab instruments, just like Nancy Ajram, who has a global reach. I envisioned an opportunity to bring that sound to Brazil, really as a market strategy.”
The music video and the song will be out November 20 on digital platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok and Instagram, and on the artist’s website.
Here’s a teaser for the video:
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
