Vandal releases ‘Vanguardah’ album blending rap and afro-symphonic music

Rapper Vandal has released his new studio album, ‘Vanguardah’, a project that blends rap, pagodão baiano, samba-reggae, and afro-symphonic music to create a contemporary portrait of Bahia.

Released on August 13, the launch date honors Santa Dulce dos Pobres, a figure of personal significance to the artist’s family. The ten-track album features musical direction by Russo Passapusso and production by Tiago Simões, Calibre MC, and Seko Bass. The project incorporates orchestral arrangements through a collaboration with maestro Ubiratan Marques and the Orquestra Afrosinfônica.

Notable collaborators on the album include DJ KL Jay, Josyara, Hiran, Liz Reis, and Giovanni Cidreira. The album’s themes focus on memory, ancestry, and religiosity, moving beyond using Bahia merely as a setting to instead use the artist's personal experiences to explore the region's cultural manifestations.