São Paulo – The mix of references and experiences of Yara Lapidus is what maker her music so unique. The French Lebanese singer has a special affection for Brazil. In an interview she gave to ANBA in the neighborhood of Bela Vista in São Paulo, she pointed out that her first name came from the indigenous language Tupi and was present to her mother by a Brazilian. Not only that, but this isn’t the first time that French-based Lapidus comes to the country. “I have many cousins here because a paternal aunt of my married a Brazilian guy and moved to Rio de Janeiro,” she said.
Her familiarity with the country and the Brazilians made her admire artists from here. “My favorite one is Chico César,” she said about the musician with whom she recorded two songs. The first song, “Tenho Saudade de Você”, was written by the Brazilian. In the second encounter, Lapidus proposed an exchange: “L’amor C’est La Vie” was written by the French Lebanese and set to music by the Brazilian.
Beirut in her memory
She said she was born in the Lebanese capital, but the local conflicts drover her family through a series of displacements. Thus, while growing up, she lived in countries like England and Egypt. Upon her last move from the Levant country, at 18 years old, Lapidus moved to France for good. “It was hard to leave this country I loved, and my friends, too. It was like when someone is happy, they have everything but they don’t know they’re happy, you know?” she recalled.
On the other hand, moving away from her origins led the singer to rediscover Arab songs. “It was only after I left Lebanon that I started getting interested in Arab music. When I was a kid, I almost rejected Arab songs. I thought they were awful. I used to listen David Bowie. Then I moved from my country, and I started understanding more about Arab songs and their meaning,” she said.
The singer learned how to play instruments when she was only six, when her mother taught her how to play the guitar. Later came the piano, and then a break. In parallel, the artist also started to record her feelings at an early age. When she realized she could bring these two things together, her poetry and diaries became her own music.
Back to Colors
The artist brought this mix of influences and experiences to her career. “I was born with this idea of mixing myself to the other countries and becoming part of them because it was the only way to carry on. I believe that’s because you can see that in my music. It reflects my work, the cultures I met, and I love that. No borders,” she said.
Throughout her career, the singer launched for albums. The most recent, Back to Colors, was launched earlier this month. The album seeks to grasp uplifting songs and vibes the artist expresses in her daily life. It features songs in French, Arabic, English, and some with Brazilian Portuguese lines, like “L’amor c’est la vie.” “Actually, I dream in French. I’m totally immersed in the French culture – in Lebanon, I studied in a French school. Even when I want to sing in Arabic or English, I start by writing in French, and then I adapt it into the other languages,” Lapidus said.
Brazil and the Brazilians
On Brazilian soil, Lapidus has some concerts schedules, but she wants more. One of the concerts will be Saturday (28) at Bar Alto in São Paulo. “I have two more performances scheduled, but I’d like to perform more in Brazil. I’m open to new partnerships with Brazilian musicians, too, why not? I really like to work with Latin artists,” she said.
Her major references include Tom Jobim. “Nobody could do better than he did. He took Brazilian songs to all countries across the world, in so many different languages,” she said. The singer is also preparing her next EP. But there’s still a long way ahead for her next album. “It’s almost like a child, you know? A newborn baby,” she finished.
Watch below the video of one of the songs the French Lebanese recorded in partnership with Chico César:
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
