Catarina Raposo of Dwelling
Note: this Collected Sounds Interview was conducted and written by Independent contributor, Anna Maria Stjärnell
What are your musical influences?
Personally, my influences are very wide. I usually say
I like good music, well played and well sang, and of
course, that I find it moving. So I bring to Dwelling
a bit of Bossa Nova, a bit of Jazz, Soul and of course
a taste of Fado.
As a band we are very eclectic, because we are 5
elements with different backgrounds. Silvia, the
violin player has classical influences and she used to
play in a Celtic band; Nicholas, one of the guitar
players, has also a classical training and his
influences come from Hard Rock; Jaime, the bass player
comes from a heavy metal background; and Nuno, the
other guitar player used to be in a Black metal band
and his influences go from Jazz, Ethnic, Gothic,
Metal, Fado. So, together, we have very varied
influences.
How long have you been playing together?
Me, Silvia Freitas, Jaime Ferreira and Nuno Roberto,
are playing together since 2000, along with Helder
Dias. This formation recorded "Moments".. Nicholas
Ratcliffe joined us shortly before the recording of
"Humana", in 2002, when Helder left the band.
What is your audience like?
I'm happy to say that we have very different
audiences. We.ve had good feedbacks from all kinds of
people, and all ages, but I'd have to say that we have
had a very big support from people involved in the
dark underground culture.
What will your next album sound like?
Our next work is still under construction, but we are
thinking of introducing a Portuguese guitar in some
songs. Naturally, there will be some differences and
we hope that our experience with "Humana" will help us
grow as musicians. So I think our next work will sound
like Dwelling, but I'm quite sure it will allow us to
show different moods.
How would you label your music?
I don't like to label it and it's quite difficult for
me to do it, but I can say it's acoustic, a bit
nostalgic at times, emotional and sweet. Maybe it is
somewhere between classical music and progressive
contemporary music.
When did you first realise you wanted to be in a
band?
I didn't!!! And to be honest, I never thought of it
before I joined the band. I played piano for 10 years,
and every year it became harder and harder to face an
audience. When I was invited to sing in Dwelling, I
was quite surprised, since I had no experience. But I
can assure you, I realise now, there's no other place
I rather be!