Creating sounds, feelings and versions, Karol Engel seeks space in the Rio Grande do Sul scene

To be a woman is to be able to give life. And not just in the patriarchal sense of motherhood. But in the purest sense of the word. Create, put in the world, make it happen. We carry this within us and, as much as there are many obstacles along the way, it seems natural and easy. Even more so when women get together and make obstacles seem minimal and the shortest path. That’s what the composer Karol Engel did, and which is now starting to bear fruit: she sought out a network of female affections and produced her second single, released at the end of January.

sensations it brings out contrasting emotions, which are on both sides of the coin. Strength, self-love and resilience are the essence of this song that crosses the chest and shows that it is possible to be different. The recording of the track, which has been on digital platforms since the end of January, featured a production team, mostly female. In addition to Karol in composition and voice, the record features Kristal Werner, in musical production and arrangements and Mariana Brito, who made the piano arrangements for the single. The two were Karol’s teachers, which made the connection even deeper.

The female presence continued even in spaces that go beyond music: the visual and conceptual identity of the project is by Garbi Music. The cover is by designer Dio Germano and technical assistance was provided by artist Elisa Terra. The non-female percentage of Sensações is up to Duda Raupp, who was in charge of mastering and mixing. This union, says Karol, was completely random, a group of females coming together as if a force was pulling them closer, upwards and forwards. Since the beginning of graduation in music, Karol sought, consciously or not, to work with women – in her research object and in the 100% female band she put together.

“None of this was intentional,” says Karol. “It was only when I was finalizing the work that I realized that there were many women. They are women with whom I identify and are here to join me”. The female hands that wove this work also gave life to another side of the artist. Between the first single — Return. “I see myself very free. Free to let go of opinions and criticism and release something because I liked it, thought it was beautiful and felt I should release it.” If the first song was released with the anxiety of someone who wants to show the world what they came for, the second comes from a more peaceful place.

Introduced into the world of music through her family, when she sang in a reggae band with her father and brother at the age of 15, Karol now wants to cultivate her authorial career, after realizing that what she likes to do most is compose. The native of Cano fights for a place in the alternative music scene of the Capital, from where she draws her inspiration. The verb ‘fight’ used in the sentence is necessary because, despite the female production of Karol’s single, the world of culture still presents many obstacles for women who seek a prominent place. “I think there’s still a lot of space left for women in music. I believe there’s a lot to be improved: seeing women as instrumentalists, as producers, etc.”, comments the composer. “I was able to assemble this team naturally because of the environment I’m in and because that was my object of study.”

In music, Karol Engel sought to provoke feelings of all kinds in people. Because that’s what’s good: to feel. Feel the good and the bad. Perceiving through the senses, the sensations, what is inside us. In a kind of metamorphosis, she gave life to a new version of herself and, with that, she gives a little more life to those who are hit by the sounds she made.