By José Gandue @Gandour Images from the Nobara Hayakawa archive
Another Tuesday of investigation through the vast world of Bandcamp, Looking for new things among the rarities offered by the more underground side of music, and suddenly, poof!, I stumble upon the newly released album of a longtime friend, Nobara Hayakawa. She, a Colombian of Japanese parents, is best known in the creative field for her design and illustration work, She has always flirted with the music industry, but hadn't released anything since 2012. I start listening to his new compilation, released under the title of Little songs, and from the cover we get an idea of the sonic intentions contained in this production. It's a children's album, but don't think it's the same nightmare that the outdated marketing of the music industry offers us., where they have always suspected that children are boring machines with limited RAM memory that only respond to simplistic and bland rhythms and lyrics of such poor content that they become elements of torture for them and their parents after only a few times being exposed on home stereos. Here, on the other hand, there is pop, shoegaze, electronica in different facets, reggae and cumbia, presenting fun, varied textual content capable of lifting the spirits of adults and children alike.
Nobara, surprised by my request for an interview, immediately set about answering my questions:
I wish they had shown me something like this when I was little…
Well, you know, it was born precisely because I don't like the children's music that's out there... I felt that another sound was needed, haha.
Where did the idea come from?
I have a young daughter who sings her own songs all day long, or things she hears that get stuck in her head, and it's very rarely songs that have been labeled as children's music. I've always thought that the infantilization of music is problematic, and that there's been a decline in the quality of music available on YouTube. How can parents go from playing Mozart for unborn babies to then leaving them at the mercy of children's songs like "Little Chick Pio"?!
I thought it would be a good idea to suggest other sounds that refer to punk, reggae, or even reggaeton from a different perspective. I'm still exploring, monitoring the children's reactions. The dance song has been the most successful and is the least childish!Let's dance).
I also understand that the visual aspect is key (the videos), but not necessarily the most important thing. I'm interested in making songs that have value in and of themselves.
How did your daughter react to the songs?
She's part of the whole process; she tells me if they seem too long or if they're missing something. She's the first critic I get and she's relentless, although she also loves everything her mom does, haha.
What was the production process like?
Everything is done at home; I have a good microphone and I edit everything in Logic Pro, all by myself.
Do you think there will be a second part?
I think so! Since I'm publishing children's books with Planeta (Publishing House), I want to do a project that integrates music, images, and stories.
Do you plan to show the album to the "general public"?
That would be cool, but I don't know how!
