Blending Their Ukulele Compositional Ingenuity and Creative Vision, the Duo of João Tostes & Vinícius Vivas Gives Us a Symphony of Strings and Soul With Their Latest Project, “Ukulele Harmonies Live In Niterói”
It is fascinating how “Ukulele Harmonies Live in Niterói” has a runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes, and it feels like half the time has elapsed by the time this unforgettable experience is over. Its immersive and engrossing quality gives it a unique temporal quality as the nature of the blissful music collapses time itself. One thing I can guarantee you is that you will emerge from the experience equally startled and fascinated that an hour has felt like mere minutes. This is the kind of project that demands your full attention, rewarding you with an indescribable sense of peace and fulfillment. Ultimately, this is what happens when two of Brazil’s most revered, technically brilliant, and virtuosic ukulele music composers and performers join hands…in this case, João Tostes and Vinícius Vivas, who have been performing as a duo since 2023 when they decided to blend their artistic vision and take both their crafts to newer heights.
And so the story goes; under the gilded archways of the Municipal Theatre, a spellbinding evening unfolded as the incomparable duo João Tostes and Vinícius Vivas delivered a live performance. One that is so luminous, so richly textured, and one that now feels more than just the music—it is an immersion into the human spirit. This 18-track project is nothing short of a lifetime achievement, a masterclass that transcends genre and geography.
From the very first strum of the ukulele, you are drawn into an auditory landscape of unimagined beauty. Here, your eyes are opened to the magic that is the ukulele instrument as their deft fingerprints transform it, evoking tones that shift between tender whispers, alluring baritones, and commanding, bass-like reverberations.
João Tostes’ innate competency to conjure deep emotion with his deliberate notes blends favorably with Vinícius Vivas’ exploratory edge as he infuses the performances with bursts of rhythm and melodic surprises that push the instrument to its expressive limits, making “Ukulele Harmonies Live in Niterói” one stunningly mind-blowing sonic experience.
The presence of Leandro Donato, an internationally acclaimed musician and educator, elevates the project to an even higher plane. His contributions are nothing short of magical, blending seamlessly with the duo’s ukuleles, his exquisite touch an extension of the performance’s soul.
To feel within grasping distance of this magical project, imagine an ethereal opening jam, “Maria Madalena” that features some soft ukulele tones, exuding subtle jazz undertones and a mellowness that is more felt and less heard.
As you imagine it, envision a lively, syncopated masterpiece that is “Xote sem rumo,” carried by such intricate fingerpicking by the duo, and as you do, go further and picture the excellent collaboration with Leandro Donato in “Asa branca,” a piece that soars with melancholy yet hopeful melodies.
Each track on this album carries its unique essence, and that is what makes it a cohesive project overall. The interplay between João and Vinícius is nothing short of telepathic; their harmonies are so intricately woven, it’s as if the ukuleles are speaking a language all their own.
When thinking about “Ukulele Harmonies Live in Niterói,” I want you to imagine a cultural milestone. This project is a bold testament to the ukulele’s potential as an instrument of profound depth and versatility.
With this live performance, both João and Vinícius redefine what a live album can be, blending technical brilliance with raw, heartfelt expression.
“Ukulele Harmonies Live in Niterói” is an opus for ages. All we ask of you is to tune your hearts to this tour de force and let it take you to places you’ve never been before!
Fast rising 18 year old Filipino artist Angele Lapp steps into familiar territory with a cover of Hale’s “Kung Wala Ka”, and comes out sounding surprisingly sure of herself.
The performance opens gently. Soft keys set the room, and then her voice arrives, smooth, clear, and almost weightless at first. There’s a calm confidence in how she phrases each line, the kind that can make you assume you’re listening to someone who has been doing this for a long time. Then you remember she’s 18, still finding her footing in a crowded music business. Vocally, though, she already sounds like she knows where she wants to go. The control is there, the presence is there, and the emotion never feels forced.
“Kung Wala Ka” has long been a staple for fans of the Filipino alternative band Hale, a breakup song that lingers because it understands how messy moving on can be. The lyrics sit in longing and absence, that hollow uncertainty of imagining life without the person you built it around. In Lapp’s hands, the song stays true to that ache. She doesn’t drain it of what made it resonate in the first place. Instead, she leans in and shapes it around her own voice, and the result feels both respectful and personal. By the time she reaches the bigger moments, she’s fully inside it, and she really does knock it out the park.
The title translates to “If You’re Not Here”, or, “If You Weren’t Here”, and that simple idea carries the whole performance. At 3 minutes and 54 seconds, the cover has a lived in quality, like she’s telling you a story she’s been carrying for a while. It feels close up, almost neighborly, like she’s singing beside you rather than at you.
The video matches that intimacy. It’s a well lit music studio setup, clean and uncluttered. Angele wears headphones, focused, locked into the track as she sings straight into the mic. You can hear how carefully she balances the notes. She starts soft, holds back, and then gradually lets the emotion rise, steady as an undercurrent, guided by the instrumental swell.
The arrangement does a lot of quiet work. Those tender keys at the intro lay the foundation, and the guitar lines slide in with a light touch. Around the one minute mark, the feeling begins to lift, partly because the keys hit with a little more intensity, giving the moment a faintly cinematic edge. By about 1:27, the rhythm fully wakes up. The key driven pulse tightens, percussion and bass join in, and her voice brightens with it, wrapping around the listener in a kind of reassurance. It’s a smart build, and she rides it well.
Somewhere in that climb, it becomes clear she’s working with more than promise. The range, the power, and the sheen of her tone don’t line up with the assumptions people make about a young artist. She sounds like someone ready for bigger rooms, and she carries the song like she belongs there.
With a recent signing to Popolo Music Group and a debut album set for release in September of this year, she’s positioning herself for a real step forward. If this cover is any indication, she’s worth keeping an eye on.
When a former football player tosses the rulebook for modern music, the results can feel braver than any tidy genre label. That is the lane King Jay Da Blountman keeps choosing, a Florida based St. Augustine artist with one foot in hip hop, one in country, and both planted in sheer hustle. His 2025 album “Versatile” has been picking up momentum as one of the year’s more convincing independent releases, partly because it refuses to sound like it is trying to fit a template.
A clear highlight is “Fish’n,” a 2-minute-and-54-second feel good cut that shows how naturally King Jay can blur styles without turning it into a gimmick. The track grabs you fast with a cadence that feels lived in. Instead of sitting on top of the beat, his voice folds into the groove, so the vocals and the production feel made for each other.
That ease matters because “Fish’n” leans into the space where singing and rapping overlap. King Jay slides between the two with a smooth rap sing touch that keeps hip hop and country in the same frame. The song lands like a snapshot of a mood, one that pulls you outdoors and away from the buzz of everything else.
The imagery is simple and it works. You can picture the fishing gear, the boat that is ready to go, the cooler packed with beer or whiskey, and the sun hanging in the sweet spot. “Fish’n” carries that particular kind of freedom you only get when the day is yours. It makes a fishing trip feel overdue, along with the permission to take a real day off. The music stays relaxed while still earning repeat listens.
There is crossover charm here that recalls Shaboozey’s 2024 hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”. The difference is that “Fish’n” stays unmistakably King Jay. It draws from lived experience and unfiltered real talk, and it keeps its own shape even as it nods to multiple worlds. The hookiness is the point, a cadence that lingers after the last note fades.
The best moments come from the tight fit between performance and production. King Jay’s vocals lock in with the beat, reinforcing the track’s quiet confidence and natural flow. It is the kind of song that belongs on open roads and open water, and it rewards listeners who like their playlists with fewer walls.
“Fish’n” sits on “Versatile,” a nine track project that earns its title. The album has been performing strongly, with several songs quickly becoming fan favorites, including “Whisky Man,” “Respect,” “Blue Cheese,” and “Kings.” Each cut shows a different angle of King Jay’s approach, yet the project holds together through a consistent sense of authenticity and risk taking.
You can hear how this run builds on what came before. “Versatile” follows the success of Jay’s 2022 album “Level Up,” which included the track “By the Water,” now with over 104,000 streams on Spotify. That earlier momentum set the table for what he is doing now, expanding his reach while sharpening his sound.
King Jay Da Blountman has always moved across lanes, from drums to raps, funny videos to serious storytelling, and the streets to global streaming platforms. His story reads as growth and openness, an artist still stretching toward the next version of himself. With “Versatile,” and with a standout like “Fish’n,” he shows how music crosses borders through heart, honesty, and a beat you can live inside.
As King Jay keeps spreading his wings globally, one jam at a time, “Versatile” works as both statement and invitation. Come as you are, grab a drink, and press play.
Fast-budding Nigerian artist Omaye’s single “Tell Them” arrives with assurance that usually takes artists a few releases to earn. He keeps it tight, too. The track runs 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and it uses every second with purpose. In a lane where bigger often gets mistaken for better, Omaye shows how far a clear idea can travel when the writing and performance stay focused.
“Tell Them” plays like a self-empowerment chant built from a hardened, never-say-never mindset. The message is straightforward: put in the work, stay locked in, and trust destiny to meet you halfway. Omaye delivers it with a calm steadiness, the sort of quiet confidence that suggests he already sees the finish line. You can hear the belief that his moment is on schedule, and that nothing is going to shake him off course.
The sound matches that mindset. Omaye’s Afrobeats foundation gives the record its swing, while gurgling Amapiano synths bubble underneath and add a subtle lift. The production stays clean and restrained, leaving plenty of air for the vocal. Omaye’s delivery is crisp and polished, gliding over the beat with clarity. He never rushes the pocket. Each note feels chosen, each inflection considered, as if he’s more interested in landing the feeling than showing off technique.
What makes “Tell Them” linger is its emotional balance. It’s catchy and undeniably infectious, yet it carries weight. The hook sticks because the sentiment does, and the track rewards replay for more than its bounce. Omaye isn’t reaching for drama or putting on a persona. He’s capturing a mindset shaped by struggle, resilience, and self-belief, then letting that honesty do the heavy lifting. By the time the song ends, the confidence feels earned rather than advertised.
With “Tell Them,” Omaye comes off as a storyteller who knows what he wants to say and how to say it. The track reads as proof that he has the tools to connect with fans of Afrobeats, Amapiano, and Hip-Hop alike, and to do it without diluting his voice. The direction is clear. The hunger is right there in the phrasing.
Now streaming on Apple Music, “Tell Them” lands as a statement of intent and a clean introduction for anyone meeting him for the first time. If this single is a preview, the question around Omaye’s rise is timing, not possibility. Time feels like the only gap between him and the next level.
The release is also a milestone: “Tell Them” is Omaye’s first professionally recorded single, and it sets the stage for his upcoming EP “17EEN,” which is close on the horizon. Keep the name Omaye in your head. You’re going to hear it again.