Rodrigo Brandão

Origin

Santos Dumont, MG

Also known as

Brandão, Gorila Urbano, Audiolandro, Rodrigo Brandão aka Brandão, Rodrigo Brandão aka Gorila Urbano, Rodrigo Audiolandro

Years Active

1998

Genres

hip hop, spoken word, rap, experimental music, improvised music

Instruments

vocals

Biography

Rodrigo Brandão is a multifaceted Brazilian artist, born in Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais, on December 10, 1985. His career spans various fields, including music, film, and communications. As a musician, he is known for his work as an MC, spoken word poet, and producer, with a career spanning over two decades. Brandão began his musical career in the late 90s as a member of the hip hop group Mamelo Sound System, which became a pillar of the Brazilian underground. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with a vast range of renowned artists, both in Brazil and internationally, such as Naná Vasconcelos, Rob Mazurek, Del The Funky Homosapien, Mike Ladd, Prince Paul, Pharoah Sanders, Marshall Allen, and the Sun Ra Arkestra, in addition to Brazilian names like Tulipa Ruiz, Juçara Marçal, and Nação Zumbi.

In addition to his musical career, Rodrigo Brandão has also made a mark in film and communications. Born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, he studied communications at UFRJ and film and photography at Ithaca College. He has worked as a filmmaker, video artist, and communications professional, with a focus on climate, environmental, and social justice issues. He founded Story Justice Communications and held leadership roles in film distribution, including founding the Cinema Slate label, dedicated to Latin American cinema. Brandão has also worked as communications director for outlets like The Intercept and collaborated with organizations such as Al Jazeera and The Marshall Project.

His musical work is marked by lyrical depth, the exploration of spiritual relationships between urban imagery and African ancestry, and an aesthetic with punk influences. He moves between rap, spoken word, and improvised music, always seeking to expand the boundaries of his artistic expression. His solo albums, such as "Outros Barato" and "Outros Estado", reflect this experimentation and his critical, politicized worldview.

Discography

• Outros Barato (2017)
• Rodrigo Brandão, The Sun Ra Arkestra – Outros Espaço​ (2021)
• Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg, Pascal Marzan, Bill Young (16), Noel Taylor (4), Rodrigo Brandão, João Madeira – Hands & Tongues (3 Meta-Dialogues) (2023)
• Outros Estado (2023)
• Estilo (2023)
• Telefone sem Fio (2025)