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Reggae, MPB, and Brazilian Identity in Dialogue with the World

 

Rafael Pondé is a Bahian artist with nearly three decades dedicated to researching, creating, and disseminating Brazilian music in dialogue with reggae and other global sounds. A composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer, he has released eight solo albums, in addition to an extensive discography built on collaborations and special projects. His career is marked by aesthetic coherence, cultural density, and consistent international circulation.

 

Since 2017, Rafael has expanded his work outside of Brazil, especially in the United States, without ever breaking his ties with Bahia, which remains a structuring axis of his artistic identity. Throughout this journey, he has collaborated with internationally renowned artists and producers, such as Grammy winner Hans Martin Buff (Prince, Joss Stone, Scorpions), Bill Anschell, and the Latin Grammy-winning band Natiruts. He is the author of the song "Princesa do Cerrado," recorded by Natiruts on the album Quatro (EMI, 2002).

 

As a composer, Rafael Pondé has built a repertoire widely recorded by artists from different regions of the country, reinforcing the reach and authorial relevance of his work. Throughout his career, his songs have been recorded by Natiruts (DF), Diamba (BA), Lampirônicos (BA), Adão Negro (BA), Negra Cor (BA), IN Natura (DF), Manitu (MG), Nosal (MG), Gustavo Maguá (MG), Claus e Vanessa (RS), Janaína Moreno (RJ), A Zorra (BA), and Carlos Pitta (BA), among other names in Brazilian music.

 

His original work also stands out for its strong spiritual, historical, and identity-related content. Songs like "Revolta dos Malês" and "Miscigenação" are frequently used in educational contexts because they address central themes of Brazilian cultural formation, connecting music, memory, and social awareness.

 

Rafael's musical heritage directly engages with the history of Brazilian music. His great-uncle, Humberto Porto, was a composer from the radio era who already explored Afro-Bahian culture in songs like "Na Bahia" and "Yayá Baianinha," both recorded by Trio de Ouro. Humberto had works recorded by historical interpreters such as Carmen Miranda, Dalva de Oliveira, and Orlando Silva, in addition to being the author of the carnival march "A Jardineira," a classic of the Brazilian popular repertoire.

 

In the 1990s, Rafael joined the band Diamba, a reference in national reggae, co-writing and co-producing the album Ninguém Está a Salvo (2000), considered a landmark of the genre in Brazil. In parallel, he developed a solid solo career, with recordings in Brazil, Europe, and the United States, performing at festivals, and experimenting with reggae, MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), and electronic music.

 

In 2022, he created The Brazilian Reggae Experience project, a California-based band that fuses roots reggae with Brazilian music in a contemporary and global approach. The album Brazilian Reggae Experience Vol. I, released in 2023, consolidated this proposal, with the single "Cartagena" standing out, included in Spotify's editorial playlists and which has already surpassed two million plays, significantly expanding the artist's international reach.

 

In 2025, Rafael released the album Brazilian Reggae Experience Vol. II, deepening this sound research that connects tradition and innovation. In parallel, he presents the show Reggando a MPB, a project that reinterprets classics of Brazilian popular music under the aesthetics of reggae and dub, structured for the summer season and the Carnival of Bahia.

 

Tradition, innovation and Brazilian identity with historical background and a vision for the future.

 

In terms of positioning: a composer with a consistent catalog, robust discography, proven audience and mature projects for circulation in strategic agendas.

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