LETÍCIA NOVAES

Singer, Songwriter, Composer, Musician and Author.

THE CITY TALK

I READ THAT YOU DIDN’T REALLY LIKE GROWING UP IN TIJUCA (EDITOR’S NOTE : A NEIGHBORHOOD OF RIO DE JANEIRO’S NORTH ZONE) WHEN YOU WERE A TEENAGER, NEARLY BEING ASHAMED OF IT, AND TODAY YOU CHOSE TO LIVE THERE AGAIN. WHY?
Tijuca is a very traditional neighborhood. When I was a teenager, I used to think of myself as a big city girl living in a small city. I had a prejudice, I confess, against my friends and people from my school. I thought they were very common; they would only listen to what the radio was playing or watch blockbusters at the movies… Thanks to my mother who is a French teacher, I had the opportunity to see different movies like Truffaut’s. It was very satisfying for me. It’s funny because when I talk about that with my brothers today, they have a complete different vision of it; to them our mom used to take us to see strange movies, when I on the contrary think these movies saved me! When I moved to Ipanema after my split from Lucas, I remember thinking it was amazing living in the south zone. I healed my broken heart going to the beach. Every single day I went swimming and crying in the ocean. It was so intense. And then I moved to São Paulo to try something new out and also because of the art and music scenes there. But then I started to miss my family and the ocean like crazy. São Paulo didn’t work for me. I decided to come back and stayed at my parents’ house for a while. Even if they are amazing, it is very intense to go back to your parents. At that time the rents in Zona Sul were so expensive that I started to look for places in Tijuca again. I have a completely different opinion about it now. It is more traditional for sure, but I learned to appreciate it.

FAVORITE THING ABOUT LIVING IN RIO. 
Being close to the beach! I know this sounds cliché but it is so true. Your day changes when you manage to squeeze in a little dive in the ocean between two work appointments.

BEST PLACE TO SIT AND WATCH PEOPLE PASS BY?
On the promenade by the beach!

WHAT IS THE CONCERT VENUE YOU WOULD DREAM TO PERFORM AT?
I already performed in my dream venue, the Circo Voador. There is also the “Dia da rua” (the street day) where every “posto” at the beach becomes a stage for music bands to play. We did it once in Leblon with Letuce but I didn’t like it so much… So my dream would be to do it again but in Arpoador this time. I saw Bebel Gilberto once there and thought I would love to do it as well.

 WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL SUNDAY PROGRAM?
I love to go to Quinta da Boa Vista which is a park that the people from the south zone of Rio don’t go often to. It is kind of our Central Park. It is beautiful. People go there for picnics. Last time we went there with my boyfriend we ended up staying the whole day trying to break the record of kicking a ball without letting it fall on the ground. We went up to 175 kicks. (Laughs).

ANY FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
There is a restaurant downtown called Hachiko which is "menu less" when you go there. It is Asian food. Amazing!

TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE ABOUT RIO.
I was going to say something bad… haha. Actually it is bad and good. It is magic! You can sometimes feel you are in a dream and sometimes you feel this can’t be real! (Laughs).

THANK YOU LETICIA x
CHECK OUT LETICIA’S INSPIRATION TALK HERE AND BEAUTY TALK HERE.
FOLLOW LETRUX HERE.

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ITW & CREATIVE DIRECTION: LISA DEBATTY
PHOTOGRAPHER: PEDRO KOELER
BEAUTY ARTIST: FOX GOULART
STYLING: CRIS BARROS & LISA DEBATTY
PRODUCTION: OUI SIMONE
SPECIAL THANKS: HELENO BERNARDI FOR THE SET OF HIS BEAUTIFUL INSTALLATION “CASSINO”; THE IED RIO.

This portrait is part of a curated series of 4 portraits of artists representing free, feminine and inspiring women that OuiSimone imagined with Cris Barros.