Mário Raposo
São Miguel, Azores
Men Without Country
Behind the Music
Mário RaposoReading the chapter “Jail Without Bars” and learning of David Mndolwa’s shocking story really made me reflect on the duality of the sea in a way I’d never imagined before. As such, I attempted to capture and evoke both of these sides in my music. Using some of Ian’s audio and ambient noise, I wanted to capture the appropriate emotions in an effort to illustrate both the vast beauty of the sea — and all the wonders it has to offer — as well as landscape it provides for crimes to go entirely unpunished.
As a musician, songs have a special capability to make people experience an array of feelings and transport them somewhere they might be unfamiliar with, such as the dramatic places Ian reports on. I hope hearing my tracks inspires people to read the book. The topics explored in The Outlaw Ocean need global attention in order to be solved, especially as many of us become increasingly aware of environmental issues. Music and the written word has that capability to touch and move people into action. Because of that, this kind of unique journalism and this project is vitally important in every sense as a way to unmask crime that runs rampant around the world.
About Mário Raposo
Born in the island of São Miguel, Azores, Mário is an eclectic and self-taught musician. His taste and influences encompass Jazz, Classical music, New Age, Electronic and film score composers. Since the 1990’s, Mário has been creating music for film scores, commercial documentaries, advertisements, TV generics and CDs. A true product of his times, Mário does not hesitate to inject a more modern language into traditional forms. He has experimented mostly with fusion, such as jazz, traditional Portuguese and new age (especially on documentaries), electronic pop and dance, and orchestrations through the use of synthesisers and sample libraries. At the moment Mário has spent more time publishing several original albums that mainly cover new age and electronic music.