Rafael Molina

Rafael Molina came up in Rio de Janeiro, where he started writing songs influenced by Brazilian artists like Caetano Veloso and Chico Buarque. His early work leaned into the kind of soulful ballads that would become his main thing.

He got attention in the early 2000s with the song "Aprendi Dizer Não," which connected with listeners for its straightforward take on heartbreak. Other tracks like "Pega de Jeito" and "Queria Guardar" followed a similar emotional lane. The music wasn't flashy, just direct and personal.

Over the next decade or so, he put out albums every few years, including "Cicatriz" in 2005 and "Alma" in 2015. The writing stayed focused on interior stuff, relationships, personal struggles, the usual human material. He worked with various musicians along the way, but the core sound remained his own.