Melissa Hartman Transforms Brazilian Identity and Experimentation Into Her Own Language
Melissa Hartman builds a universe where drum and bass, Brazilian influences, and sensitivity coexist organically. With roots in the Amazon, the artist transforms memories, landscapes, and Northern Brazilian references into a sound that blends electronic textures, emotion, and identity.
Her appearance on the track “Amargo e Doce,” alongside Wiu and Teto, reinforces her position as an artist who moves naturally through the Brazilian hip hop scene while developing her own language within the contemporary music landscape.
There is an almost sensory atmosphere surrounding her work. Nature, rivers, fresh water, and elements of Northern Brazilian culture appear not merely as aesthetic references, but as living parts of her artistic narrative. Everything becomes sound, image, and experience.
Melissa Hartman emerges as one of the most compelling names of a new generation that understands music as a space for freedom, experimentation, and identity.
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
There is a very strong presence of your Northern Brazilian roots in both your aesthetic and your music. In what ways do memories of the Amazon shape your creative process today?
There is. Drum and bass is an electronic music genre, and bringing more human and natural messages into such a synthetic style really interests me. I try to reconnect with the experiences from my homeland and express them through my lyrics. Elements of nature have always felt very mystical to me and speak far more deeply than people usually realize. Being able to merge these two worlds in my music is part of my essence.
You’ve already moved through very different musical universes, from bossa nova to contemporary hip hop. What interests you most when experimenting with new sounds and collaborations?
What interests me most is preserving the possibility of making music without being tied to a label. Even though drum and bass is my main focus, collaborations with other artists push me to explore my musicality further and avoid limiting myself to a single rhythm. At the end of the day, music is music.
Your presence on stage has been growing more and more, from rap festivals to major national events. What changes when you step onto the stage and connect with the audience?
I become Melissa as a child again — the girl who played piano and sang at music school. I truly loved what I was living through. I feel grateful to have been born in the Amazon, in a region that holds fundamental importance for the planet. Leaving the North in pursuit of my dream and looking back from here makes me value my origins even more. When I perform, I feel like I carry that with me somehow.
What have been the biggest challenges of occupying this space as a new artist within today’s music scene?
Being an artist is not just about making music. Behind a single release, there are many layers of work the public never sees. My biggest challenge is carrying out most of these projects with very limited resources and often on my own. Creative direction, release strategy, video editing, and the music itself. I’ve always been very curious and dedicated, so even though doing all of this takes more time, it’s still enjoyable for me — despite remaining a challenge.
“Olhos de Piscina” introduced the public to a very unique side of your artistic universe. What does this song represent to you, and what does it reveal about this moment in your trajectory? Can we expect new releases later this year?
We already have new releases coming in May! “Olhos de Piscina” is definitely a single that represents me very well, both musically and aesthetically. It’s one of my first officially released drum and bass tracks and, even with a more digital sound, it carries mystical lyrics and a poetic quality that connects deeply to my roots.
TEAM CREDITS:
Editor-in-Chief: Prince Chenoa
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Editor Brazil: Leonardo Loreto (@leonardoloreto)
Writer: Gillian Caetano (@gilliancaetano)
Photographer: ḄЁḶḶÄṪÖ (@bellllato)
Wardrobe Stylist: (@cecehamali)
Hair Stylist: KAUÃ KEVIN (@okauakevin)
Makeup Artist: LUA ALMEIDA` (@paintedbylua)
