QR Music Interview - Naara Araujo: At Home in Northern Ireland

When Naara Araujo was five years old, she was already singing in her native country, Portugal. Chances are, she did not expect to end up recording and performing in Northern Ireland as a teenager, but here she is. Naara is now sixteen and has already released two singles, Still Standing and Take Me Home. Shot in her new hometown, Take Me Home has the lovely Bangor for its backdrop. I interviewed Naara recently about her songs, her cultural experiences, and what it’s like to live and perform in Northern Ireland.

Queen’s Radio: You were only fifteen when you recorded the two tracks. What’s that like being fifteen and then jumping into it?

Naara: I never expected that I was actually going to do music. Like I said before, I always thought that I’d do music as a hobby, but never as something that would actually gain money, you know. But when I was fifteen, I just took a risk and I was like, “I’m just gonna contact him, and who knows, maybe it’ll work.” So, I did, and I didn’t expect an answer back, but I did get one, and then it was just getting prepared for actually going into the studio. I had never been in a studio before, and the first day was like, “Go on—sing.” So, it was great, but it was really surreal. I loved it, like every second of it, and I’m so glad that that happened.

QR: Do you prefer recording over playing live, or both equally?

Naara: No, no, playing live. I just love the butterflies it gives you. Just to know that you’re singing in front of people. It’s just amazing. I really like that. I love recording too, but seeing the faces is best.

QR:  Do you get that feeling that you’re starting to be more of a part of a musical community?

Naara: Yeah, a lot, because I’m actually interacting with other musicians and other singers, and that makes me feel like I’m actually part of something bigger.

QR: What would it be like in Portugal, that sort of musical community?

Naara: I don’t think I would have had the same opportunities. There is a big music community. I just don’t think I would have been a part of it.

QR: That’s strange—why not?

Naara: There it is very rare for people to actually get to do music. 

QR: What do you think of the Northern Ireland music community, all the music around you?

Naara: I wouldn’t say I experienced a lot of it. From what I hear, people here are really professional, and take music really seriously. Music here is seen as more of an important thing.

QR: You come across a lot of amazing musicians around here, that it can be intimidating.

Naara: It is. It really is.

QR: So, what are your strong points? You’re really developing as a composer.

Naara: Yeah, I like to compose. I would say that composing is the thing I've got going on for me.

QR: You didn’t come straight to Northern Ireland, you went to England. Tell me about that journey and how it affected you.

Naara: Okay. So, I’m originally from Portugal, and I lived in Portugal until I was ten. Then Portugal had quite a big crisis. So, my parents and I moved to England, and I lived in England until I was around twelve—eleven, twelve, something like that—and I moved to Brazil because my mom is Brazilian. I have family there, and we went there on holiday and ended up staying. So, we stayed and we ended up living there for like eight to nine months. So, not long. And then we came back because the education level was not as good as I was used to. So, we went back to England and I stayed there until I was fourteen, and afterwards my mom’s friends moved here, well, Bangor, and we came to visit and my mom loved it. She said, “I’m moving here,” and I never believed her—I was like, “No, you’re not.”  

QR: So, this is a big environmental change from Brazil to Bangor.

Naara: But, I would say that the people are quite similar, though. They’re both really caring. People here are extremely sweet and extremely nice. They are there to help you. I don’t mean Bangor, I mean Northern Ireland in general.

QR: What’s the definition of saudade?

Naara: The definition of saudade is...basically, Portuguese is the only language that has a word for missing someone. If you say a song has a feeling of saudade, it means that it makes you think of missing someone.

QR: It’s kind of like a bittersweet feeling, like you’re looking back on a memory with nostalgia. I bring it up because I have that feeling when I listen to Still Standing. You performed it the other night and it’s on YouTube, and I kind of have that feeling when I was listening to it. The lyrics are good, but your performance of it brings out saudade. Why do you think people write music like that? Do you think they are trying to fill a void? 

Naara: I’ll talk personally because I can’t talk for others. At least when I write songs that are melancholy and are sad, I just normally do it because I go back to thinking when I was actually feeling like that, and I just write down how I was feeling, and that tends to be what I do, at least. I can’t talk for others, but that’s how I normally feel.

QR: Is there real, true romantic music today, like there was in the 90s or 80s?

Naara: I would say so. I wouldn’t say that the songs on the charts are about that, but if you go more to the not so popular music, you will definitely find that.

QR: Going more pop—would that ever be something you’d be interested in doing to achieve a bigger audience?

Naara: I feel like that would change me, because I’m not very poppy. That’s just not who I am. I would do it, but I feel like it would change my essence, because that’s just not who I am.

Naara can be reached at Naarafancontact@yahoo.com.

By Peter Scott