Life & Work with Arty Furtado

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arty Furtado.

Hi Arty, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My journey with music production began with me being fascinated by the rhythms of the music of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde and by the sounds of electronic music. The first time I ever produced a song, it was after a New Year’s Eve party in Guinea-Bissau when I was ten years old. After the older people left to the club, I stayed up all night making a beat on Garage Band. When my mom and my aunts came back from the club, I was still producing. The next day we all played it, and it was pretty good. That’s how I started producing. I am now almost 23 and am still doing it with the same love.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Starting young and becoming decently good at it at an early age led to a lot of media attention from the country in which I grew up in, which is Switzerland. At 13, I was almost signed to a French network who wanted a long-term deal out of me. It was difficult for me to navigate wanting to experiment with my own sound while trying to conform to the sound and image that these A&Rs, executives and producers wanted me to have and to portray. At 14, 15, or even 16, you are very gullible to older people who seem experienced. They kept telling me I was good, that I had to be put in a box that they deemed was the correct fit for me, or else I had no future in this industry. It is tough to de-internalize these kinds of thoughts.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a music producer. I produce for myself and for others too. For my own music, I am very proud of my EP ‘Galissa’, which incorporates West African sounds, Hip-Hop sounds, Electronic sounds and many more influences. It is dedicated to a family friend of ours who, unfortunately, passed away two days after recording his kora instrument on my music. As far as music that I’ve produced for others, I am most proud of the work that I did for Khadijat. I have produced and mixed a couple of her songs. She is a phenomenal artist who I believe will go very far. I’m proud to have played a small part in helping her vision come to life.

Additionally, I am evolving as a concert producer. I am known for providing a safe space for people to come and attend events where artists they may never have heard of perform amazing sets. I am known for providing a space where people can be themselves.

I am mostly proud of, despite the pandemic, having been able to create an event where 20 independent artists came together and showed their music to crowds of 300 people (virtually) and to executives at Revolt TV, for a chance to win features and free music videos done by people who have worked on Lil Wayne music videos, among others.

How do you think about happiness?
Seeing that something that I worked on positively affected somebody’s life, either by making them smile, laugh, or simply have a good time, is something that makes me extremely happy. My proudest achievements have always been ones where I’ve helped somebody reach a next step in their life, so if I can make somebody else a little happier, I am happy.

And music. Because music is incredible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://artyfurtado.onuniverse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artyfurtado/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/artyfurtado
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialArtyFurtado

Image Credits:
@bytunde @amaranorman