I’m Jasmin, a 27 year old Dutch-Brazilian singer – songwriter born and raised in Rotterdam, Holland, who’s currently living in Belo Horizonte, Brasil.
I’ve been working on my music professionally for over 10 years now. I started writing music when I was 12, and since then have been developing my own style throughout all these years.
I studied Music Composition at the Conservatory in Utrecht and have been working since as a singer and performer throughout Holland and Brazil. I’m a multicultural musician that has created my own particular sound, mixing folk, jazz & brazilian music, specifically from the region of my Brazilian roots, Minas Gerais. Last year I took the leap of faith and moved to Brazil, with only one backpack, my guitar and two heart wishes : Get closer to my Brazilian roots & make my first album. “Show me the way”.
The past years I’ve been focussing on spreading my music, playing at music festivals in Holland, in awesome places such as Sofar sounds (Amsterdam) and Tranquilo (Belo Horizonte) and now the time has finally come to record my first album!
Together with producer Léo Marques I started the music production in February. I’ve gathered 9 special songs that each represent a crucial stepping stone in my self-discovery. They will be bundled up in a very personal, intimate yet bold and fierce album, called “Show me the Way”.
“Show me the Way” is a musical representation of the personal transformation I’ve been undergoing over the last few years. In short: one big existential crisis transformed into songs (lol).
Many of these songs originate from a feeling of deep solitude and emotional pain, “growing pains” as you might call them.
As poet Khalil Gibran says “Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.” The only remedy for dealing with these growing pains, was to try to understand them and slowly embrace them as part of this journey called Life.
I’ve discovered that pain is actually a great fuel for creativity and that being imperfect is much more fun than perfect (but more of that you will discover in my lyrics).
“[…] Show me the way through the valley
the way to the bushes and fires I smelled.
Show me, and all of the stillness arises,
right where I know it belongs – here.”
Another big inspiration and reference for “Show me the Way”, is the 700 km pilgrimage called El Camino de Santiago, that I bravely walked on my own two years ago, in an attempt of coming closer to myself. Ironically, I thought I was walking away from my problems, but actually I was walking towards them. This turned out to be the first step in healing and the start of living a more authentic life.
This project is extra-extra special to me, because not only am I realizing my lifelong dream of recording my first studio album (!); I’m doing it nowhere else than in – Belo Horizonte! The capital of Minas Gerais, the city whose music history has influenced me a lot.
The music from Minas, such as from the famous band Clube da Esquina, has been with me ever since I remember hearing music for the first time. My father, Marcelo Godoy, who is a composer from Montes Claros, has presented to me an array of diverse sounds since childhood. Therefore in my sound you will hear many influences of: Milton Nascimento, Djavan, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Joyce but also many European musicians, such as The Beatles, Sting, Bjork and American musicians like Stevie Wonder, Pat matheny & Joni mitchell (ok she’s canadian).
I’ve always wanted to merge these worlds that live inside of me: Europe and (South) America. All of these sonoric pallets form a pretty eclectic sound, and I think that will make this an unique sounding record.
I’m recording my album with no-one other than producer Léo Marques from the studio ‘Ilha do Corvo’, who’s an expert at creating sonoric landscapes, through his analogue gear and love for details and I’m very honored to work with him.Together with him, all of the other musicians and artists working on this project are from Minas Gerais! Which makes this super special, since this is a huge part of bringing my roots onto my album.
A little bit on who’s participating:
Leonardo Marques (Deezer, Transmisor),
Cyrano Almeida – percussion and drums,
Lucas de Moro – piano & keys,
Rodrigo Garcia – string arrangements,
André Oliva – 7 string guitar
and many more participations such as of singer songwriter Bernardo Bauer!
Alongside this musical team, we’re also making a short documentary about the creative process and inspiration of this album, directed by Aline Xavier. She will make a beautiful “ visual diary” where you will be able to get to know me more intimately, inside and outside the studio. Nowadays it’s really important to release visual material alongside the release of music and I’ve always wanted to share more about my creative process as well.
