The Barbosa Experience: An Interview with Pedro

The Barbosa Experience has been playing at festivals and venues around the country over the last few years and they are playing their first ever Park Acoustics this coming weekend.

I had a chat to Pedro Barbosa from The Barbosa Experience about Park Acoustics and a few other things. This is what he had to say:

When you think of Park Acoustics, what comes to mind?

“Green, blue skies, happy people, chilled yet happy party vibes. almost like a gathering of friends, just a lot of them.”

I’m curious to find out more about you guys. Tell us something that nobody knows about The Barbosa Experience.

“Hahahaha… We pretty much a open book. I can tell you one thing we never play with a fixed set list of songs for a show.”

“We sometimes take a set list to the shows but I don’t remember once following it, I think you set all these songs and on the day you might not feel some of them or they don’t feel right to play on that moment so I change the sequences on stage and sometimes take one or add another according to how I feel and how the crowd is reacting.”

What can we expect from The Barbosa Experience at Park Acoustics on the 6th of May?

“The Barbosa Experience are really excited about our first Park Acoustics – we have been waiting for this for a long time. I suppose its boring to say it over and over again but we are once again aiming at enjoying the stage and the vibe that day and passing that energy to the crowd. We hope the crowd connects with us and dances and enjoys it as much as we do. Cause we sure gonna have fun on that stage.”

What are your thoughts on the current state of the SA Music Industry?

“I honestly don’t know, I tend to keep much to myself these days, I play an average of 4-5 gigs a week so don’t get to follow much except on social media,”

“I know it is hard for most bands around Gauteng for example as there aren’t many venues to play full bands anymore, but for us it has been changing we been invited to play a lot of festivals so I’m not sure if there are a lot more smaller open events or we just lucky to now be invited to them, but I do feel there is a drop in venues but a lot more open bigger scale events or festivals, which is great I think.”

“On the other side its harder as well as with social media and everything going to the net, one of these days I see myself giving shows online. I am not sure yet if that will be good or bad. hehe… But I can’t complain I have been blessed in the past few years.”

Who would win in a celebrity death match between Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber and why?

“BRUNO MARS ALL THE WAY!!! I freaking dig him. I don’t know Justin the well there are a couple of songs of his that are cool I guess. I just think Bruno has so much soul and deep meaning to what he does.”

“His show at the Super Bowl blew me away, especially when he brings out the Red Hot Chilli Peppers WOW! I believe Bruno is a natural songwriter and gifted musician, Justin to me feels a bit more immature in that sense. Bruno just has this thing, reminds me a lot of Michael Jackson, just more confident and lose as well…”

What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened to The Barbosa Experience during a live set?

“Hmmmm… I have to think about that one. I think in the beginning of The Barbosa Experience we get booked to play a popular student venue in Hatfield, we were only a duo, and as we get to the venue and about to do sound check the venue owner tells me its his birthday and asked if he could join us in his electronic kit.”

“We didn’t even have a bassist then – but with him being the owner and not wanting to lose the gig we said yes! We were a bit like “oh whatever lets see what happens.” He is still our drummer today. and we play his venue, but not as often as we used to before he joined the band.”

“Also, Peter (The Barbosa Experience guitarist) can’t go on stage without eating! At some point we played a wedding and they brought us starters and left them next to the stage,”

“Peter was so hungry that he couldn’t stop looking at the plate while we playing, this annoyed the crap out of me, so I told him “it’s fine dude, go ahead and eat and I will carry on” – he ate mine and his starter and joined back two songs later. I wasn’t happy then but when I think about it I think it was a funny moment…”

I’d like to thank Pedro Barbosa and The Barbosa Experience for this interview and I wish them all of the best with their set at Park Acoustics this coming weekend.

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