Although she is now making her solo debut in the music world with her album ‘Mar’ (composed of 12 tracks), Sofia Leão has always been involved in the artistic scene. Being the daughter of Rodrigo Leão and surrounded by musicians, it was almost inevitable that her life would revolve around music. Her journey was naturally directed toward this path.
At the age of 13, Sofia Leão recorded for the first time with her father, contributing to ‘Bailarina,’ a track from the album ‘O Método,’ which also featured the choir of the Associação Musical dos Amigos das Crianças (AMAC), where she studied classical piano.
“My older siblings were also there [at AMAC]… I don’t remember being the one to say, ‘I want to do music,’ but I went ahead. I’ve been connected to music since I was little, listening to a lot of music at home, and I chose the piano. Then came the mandatory subjects, choir… I used to sing a lot from a young age, but the choir helped me realize that I really enjoyed singing and learned a lot,” she recounted in a conversation with Notícias ao Minuto.
Discussing the work behind her debut album, Sofia Leão explained that “around three years ago, the first instrumental sketches began.” She describes how it was “very strange to write lyrics,” especially writing in Portuguese.
“I would jot down some phrases on a piece of paper, but they would all end up in the trash… One night, I started writing, experimenting… I don’t know what broke the barrier and made me start writing in Portuguese, but I began to enjoy it. I started gradually, with shorter, simpler lyrics. For instance, the first song of the album, ‘Pedra,’ consists of just four verses,” she recalled.
“Then I also noticed a lot of references to the sea in the lyrics. One of the most impactful songs, which I remember showing right away to my dad and siblings, is called ‘Mar.’ It was the first fully structured song I presented to them,” she added.
“I’m not sure if it’s related, but I’ve been going to Ericeira since I was a child, and I know my dad also spent a lot of his childhood there… I love the sea and believe it signifies a lot. It’s the unknown. It’s something we can easily see, but we don’t truly understand,” she shared in another conversation with Notícias ao Minuto.
Reflecting on the beginnings of this project ‘Mar,’ Sofia Leão revealed that she began “recording without a microphone, without anything,” before sharing her ideas with her father’s friends, who encouraged her to release the tracks, particularly producer and musician João Eleutério. She herself had the desire to “record things with higher quality.”
With help from friends, she received support and encouragement to start her journey, being gifted a microphone, an audio interface, and other essential tools for home demo recording. Everyone came together to assist her. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be able to do it.”
As for the ‘musical arrangement,’ despite the first released tracks – ‘Valsa’ and ‘Não Me Conheço’ – prominently featuring the piano as the “base instrument,” there are “synthesizers.” “And there are two or three songs where I play guitar, others where it’s neither guitar nor piano, just synthesizers… There is no song without more than one voice. That’s another characteristic feature. I love layering as many voices as I can and enjoy experimenting.”
When asked about the best advice she received from her father and carried into this work, Sofia Leão shared: “He always told me to do what I was feeling, to do what I wanted to do, and not try to adapt the songs [based on the opinions received]. It was good advice. And not to be ashamed of showing an idea.”
In fact, she explains, it’s almost a ‘ritual’ to share their ideas with friends (who are also musicians), just as her father, Rodrigo Leão, does.
“I’m taking it easy because a lot is happening at the same time”
Future perspectives? Sofia Leão intends to finish the course she began at university, Artistic Studies, currently in her first year. This while continuing to explore the world of music, as she “wants to explore other facets of her voice and experiment with different things.”
On her musical journey, she recently performed her first solo concerts on May 3 and 4 at MACAM – Museum + Hotel in Lisbon.
Additionally, she is about to make her theater debut in July at Teatro Romano, in a play called ‘Clitemnestra’ – a character from Greek tragedy. “I don’t know anything about it, and I’m learning a lot. Therefore, I’m taking it easy because a lot is happening at the same time,” she said.
Regarding theater, she explains, “I have been working with an Argentine teacher for two years.” “It’s very experimental theater, not the conventional kind where you take a script and rehearse. It’s very physical, involving energies between each other, communication. Teatro Romano organizes a theater festival and invited my teacher to write the play; he invited me and two other actresses to perform. It’s the first serious, more official play I’ll be doing.”
