Nyron Higor: elegant combinations of classic and modern

One fact: we have become dependent on music algorithms. Because they tell us what we like to listen to, we have stopped researching different things. Before, we would go into record stores and discover new things based on the cover, technical specifications or recommendations from the sales staff. Today, we receive an exorbitant amount of information that makes it hard to choose what to play first. As a result, listening does not expand. It is true that even today some discoveries are made through friends, reviews, researchers, music lists and, in the case of journalists and critics, public relations professionals who share the news from the labels and recording companies that provide services.

That was how I discovered the work of Brazilian composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Nyron Higor. Weeks after I was immersed in his second, self-titled album, which was sent to me in advance by Far Out Recordings, the singer Bebé told me that she had told Nyron about my journalistic work. This was the confirmation that I had to introduce the work of this incredible artist, still little known, to other people.

Until that moment, I had also not heard of his first album, Fio de Lâmina, but Bebé encouraged me to listen to it. The dive was even deeper. Nyron’s musicality is delicate, rich, even though it is minimalist, refined and very well polished. He is part of a generation that has modernized jazz and Brazilian popular music (MPB, a term that needs to have its concept updated).

From Alagoas, in the northeast of Brazil, Nyron Higor lives at present in São Paulo. His current self-titled project mixes instrumental themes, which include samba canção, jazz and rhythms from the regional culture of the northeast, with poetic ballad songs guided by the acoustic guitar. The album is calm, serene and peaceful, but also has a certain density (it differs from the previous one, which is a little more intense, but it does not stray from the artist’s proposal). It is one of those works that you put on to play – if it is on vinyl, even better -, sit in the armchair, close your eyes and relax. It has a contemporary feel with classical touches. It brings a timelessness that could have made sense from the 1960s onwards, and will still be fresh in the next 50 years.

The fusion of organic and electronic elements is very well balanced, which makes the flow smooth. Nyron Higor has created his own identity, but we can place him in the same creative line – considering the due proportions – as Bill Withers, Michael Kiwanuka, Leon Bridges, Black Pumas, Sessa and Bruno Berle. The last named, in addition to contributing to the production, is present as a guest in “São Só Palavras”. I am not making comparisons here. Each of the artists mentioned has their own characteristics, but at times they can meet and be identified in Nyron’s aesthetic.

Nyron Higor elegantly combines classical and popular music. He pleases discerning ears and wins over those who are willing to delve into musical experiences that are not part of everyday listening. This is just the beginning of a complete artist who has every possibility of conquering space beyond the niche he currently occupies.

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