By Marley
From the beautiful little country of Mozambique to the shining city lights of South Africa, Pedro Barbosa is a name you must have heard of in the music industry. This beautiful, bubbly man is known for his vibrant performances, fun songs and sometimes serious songs. Pedro is as much a part of South Africa as braai broodjies.
I’m lucky to have known Pedro for many years, meeting on top of the Blue Moon mountain; I don’t think I was ready for this fun guy then. But he entered my taxi heart and we will call the rest history.
Through the years, I have seen him all over – STRAB, Up The Creek, Blue Moon, golf tournaments (not that I play), Dullstroom and more. We managed to get some time from Pedro to answer a few questions.
STM: At what age did you start making music? Like, when did little Pedro pick up an instrument and why?
PB: So that story is weird. My parents tried to get me into piano at about 11–12, but I didn’t like it. I was interested in other things. I then started learning guitar by myself at the age of 15–16. And that is where it all changed. But my mom says I started writing music at the age of 6. I used to sing in the shower and make up my own words, as I didn’t speak much English back then.
STM: I think a lot of people don’t know that you are from Mozambique. How was it growing up there? When did you come to South Africa?
PB: It was the best, to be honest. There were downs and a lot of them, but I think growing up in an environment where everyone was supposed to be equal, regardless of culture, race or social status. Yes, there were the so-called sons of ministers who had the money and backup from their rich parents, but we just let them be. The rest, we were having fun and loving each other. It was truly a blessing. And our parents worked very hard to try and keep us happy, as at times things were scarce. But somehow they managed.
STM: When we met, way back in the day, you had a band, Mrs. B, and I remember you handing me a CD called The Milkshake Revolution (I still have it).
PB: That is my favourite Mrs. B album. And the change in the band’s sound. Sad we parted ways a few years later. 🙁 But times were changing. And so were we as young men.
STM: There is this one song you perform, “I Got No Money”, my bru. That song just stays. And still relates.
PB: Hehe, I wrote that song as a joke on the stairs at Stephen Rosenmeyer’s house. Was joking with one of his guitarists, Kevin, and the chorus stuck, so I went and wrote full lyrics. Based on the Barbosa Experience band.
STM: You are known for your vibrant performances. Is it something that comes naturally?
PB: Yes, it does, I think, but also because of that I do have some off days, and that can be a problem. Sometimes I just want to play and not talk as much. So the shows change and are different often, depending on me and the band and the crowd.
STM: You have played at so many places around this country (and beyond). Do you have a favourite place you like to perform at?
PB: One of my favourites is right by you, the Blue Moon. It was amazing. Oppipanne and STRAB are also up there. But my favourite place is by a fire in Ponta do Ouro, or by the beach. 🙂 No one, just the music and a sense of freedom.
STM: There is this one song that was on another CD you gave me from The Barbosa Experience, but it’s in Portuguese. I was told it’s a party song. Do you know what I’m talking about?
PB: I think that album had one Spanish song. Don’t remember Portuguese. I think of “Chorradas”. Which means bullshit and the song is basically I don’t have time for bullshit.
STM: Then after Mrs. B you released your solo albums, starting with Reborn – we have to talk about Crazy Love Is. I have met so many people who love that song but never knew you sang it.
PB: Yeah, “Crazy Love Is” was a big change and won us a few awards overseas and kinda planted me as a songwriter. People now commented on my writing and not my singing. That was really nice. The song itself was a good thing but also bad as it lingered in loss and awareness of love.
STM: Let’s talk about AI. There are so many different views. Some see it as a tool for a creative outlet and some see it as a tool to hear what a song might sound like. What is your take on AI?
PB: I don’t like AI. But it is here, and I think we must adapt or fall behind. It’s not gonna go away, so I say use it. It can’t create, so use it as a tool. I have tried it, and it has helped me not just in the music but in admin, etc. I am growing into it, but I don’t fully trust it. I have watched way too many movies.
STM: Have you used any AI in your music, like songwriting, lyrics, production? If not, is it something you will use?
PB: I have, yes, on “Go, Let Go”. For the last line of the 2nd verse, I used help from ChatGPT. My girlfriend suggested it, and it worked. I have tested SUNO, but I haven’t used it yet. I basically added a melody and lyrics and checked different versions of a song. It’s quite cool to hear the same song in different styles.
STM: On a different note, you had an operation recently to remove a polyp. This is actually a common surgery in vocalists. Can you tell us how you knew there was something wrong, or did you hear something different in your voice?
PB: Yeah, that was a bit scary. Still kinda is. I felt my recovery after a week of gigs took longer than normal and also I noticed there were faults on my falsetto. So I went to see a vocal coach, Jolanda Bekker. We tried to fix it without doctors, but it didn’t work, so I went to see a doctor and he confirmed a polyp, gave it a few months to see if it goes away, but it grew, so we had to remove it. Now it’s recovery. It will take about a year for full recovery. It’s a very patient process and I am not good with patience.
STM: Your latest album, The Star in You, is amazing. What was the inspiration?
PB: That was my second-last EP. There is another one after that one 🙂 Ghost In Town. (Sorry, our fault.)
The Star in You, though, it was leftover songs that I had. And also a song from one of my favourite SA bands, BellJar. It was basically putting songs together to make an EP. And hope they work.
STM: Oh my gosh, we need to chat about your new music video, “Go, Let Go”. It’s a powerful song and the incorporation of the ballerinas and dancers is something new. I’ve never seen something like it. What was the idea for the video?
PB: So basically I wanted something artistic. I didn’t have much budget, so I signed into a stock footage site and downloaded some parts of the ballet, and we shot the rest with Ruben from Full Spectrum Media. And then I edited the video. It was fun and very rewarding.
STM: You are a part of Railways in Centurion, right? What made you get involved with it?
PB: I was part of it, yes. I have parted ways with Railways. I always loved railways, and I have known TJ for many years. It was a really fun and interesting journey, but it’s very hard to try and do music and run a restaurant. I will do it again someday when I’m not playing so much, but for now I sold my share back to TJ.
STM: What are the future plans for Pedro Barbosa?
PB: Make music, play more and more stages and try to take over the world. One small town at a time.
I highly suggest you follow Pedro Barbosa online to see where his next gig will be and also for the music.
Catch Pedro Barbosa live across the country live, his Facebook is never shy of his events. Check his YouTube channel out as well. Or if you are heading to Up The Creek 2027 see him there.
Till next time!
