How a musician from Brazil is growing in the North East
Meet Nadedja
Nadedja was the first to call out, ‘pick me’ when choirs formed in school. She begged her parents for piano and guitar lessons. After relocating from Brazil to the North East as a young adult, she now produces her own brand of Indie Pop.
“It’s not pure pop; it has moments of RnB and Soul, especially in my piano songs. I subtly bring in some Latin flavours sometimes,” says Nadedja.
Her immediate family is academic; her mother is a professor, and her father is a lawyer. A love of music stemmed from older generations.
“My great grandfather was an excellent musician; he taught himself the violin, and my grandad taught himself the accordion,” she says. “Eventually, it landed on me.”
Working hard in school was rewarded by a musical activity. Her parents organised private instrument lessons. As she got older, Nadedja felt a lack of creative opportunities, with areas closer to big cities like Rio or San Paulo providing more options.
“It could be much stronger back home as there is so much talent. My music scene complained about it a lot,” she says.
Nadedja studied Design at Universidade Federal do Piauí where she joined amateur theatre companies and played in bands. She performed backing vocals for groups in the city, expanding her musical communities. She applied for a paid scholarship to study in the US.
“I met my husband, who’s from Darlington,” she says. “I came to the North East to get married; I love it here.”
Nadedja also feels that moving to the North East opened up new pathways for her in music.
Social media is a vital tool for emerging artists to search for projects, funding and keep up-to-date with new initiatives. Nadedja discovered The Glasshouse from peers sharing events, programmes and workshops and subscribed to the weekly newsletter.
“I spotted Summer Studios [a week-long residency using The Glasshouse’s rehearsal space] and applied; that was my first contact with The Glasshouse,” says Nadedja. “I had never visited before, although I couldn’t miss it from the outside.”
“It was brilliant to use the rehearsal room; it felt inspiring to be here,” she says. “I was on the panel to choose the next Summer Studio artists. It was cool that I did the project myself, then helped other musicians.”
The Glasshouse building offered space to prepare for a tight schedule when Nadedja was due to record a song in Liverpool. musicians. The most valuable part of the residency week for her was the workshops, especially on mental health and the general health of a musician.
“It’s common in the creative industries to be a workaholic and become obsessed with our jobs,” Nadedja says. “There isn’t much to distinguish between the artist and the person.”
“I talked to my therapist and developed strategies. I have improved my work-life balance and how I view myself as an artist,” she says.
Following Summer Studios, the ‘From The Glasshouse’ season arrived. The backstage buzz and striding into the hall decorated with plants, facing an excited audience, was a memorable experience.
“I had the most beautiful grand piano that I have ever played,” she says. “I felt like a proper artist.”
Find out more about Summer Studios and apply here.
Nadedja is a fan of the North East landscape from studying in York and gigging in Leeds, Darlington and Newcastle. Musicians on the local scenes support each other and invite peers to their gigs. Music-lovers are open to new artists and actively search for different sounds.
“Creating music in the UK is a dream come true,” she says. “My skills have progressed quickly.”
Nadedja has gigs and festivals with a live backing band planned this year. She also plans to record more singles. She takes inspiration from singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.
“She is my queen. She produces herself, which influenced me too, and it’s cool how she experiments with electronic and organic sounds,” says Nadedja.
As diversity widens and technology advances, it’s easier to share music from all corners of the globe. New genres are gaining popularity in the UK.
“English speaking countries dominated in the past; that is starting to change, says Nadedja. “Latin or K Pop is coming through. People are more open to different styles.”
When Sunderland venue The Fire Station booked Nadedja to open for Mica Paris, she was stunned. The booker found her on Spotify and thought, ‘I need to hire this girl.’
