Feature Story:P9: The Brazilian Boyband Ready to Takeover

You’re listening to radio and a catchy pop songs starts playing and you notice some slight accents in the vocals. When you check the name of the song and artist it’s a name you’ve never seen before: My Favorite Girl - P9. This scenario will soon be happening all around the United States and the world as the brazilian boyband expands their english-lyrics, catchy songs to mainstream radio outside of Latin America. But who is P9? How did they come together?

Coming togetherProducers Jason Herbert and Venus Brown ( from Buddah Brown Entertainment) met at the fashion meets music event in Rio de Janeiro called “Fashion Rocks” where Venus was working and Jason, who lived in Brazil at the time already was attending. When the producers shared their observations of the lack of boybands in Brazil they joined forces with Sony Music International with the mission to fill this gap in the market.

P9 bring together the carefree, yet high energy lifestyle of Rio de Janeiro and the musical passion of the four members through catchy melodies accompanied by guitar, ukulele, bass and drums.

The band name, P9, references “Posto 9” in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, a part of the carioca beach that is known as a meeting place for young people.

Igor and Michael were the first to join the band. When Jason proposed the idea to a young boy he knew through other projects, Igor Von Adamovich, he was quick to say yes and he was on board right away. Shortly thereafter Igor introduced his surf friend Michael Band to Jason and with his addition the group was started, but was still short a couple members.

Through a series of auditions put on by the producers for talent agencies, Jonathan Couto and Gui dos Santos were added to the group and P9 was officially formed.

Each boy brings something special to the band with their own personalities and music tastes. They became friends through all of the things they have in common including the love for music and sports.

Igor

Igor de Freitas Von Adamovich was born in Rio de Janeiro on December 28, 1994. Besides being a writer, surfer and skater, in his free time Igor writes music for P9 and finds inspiration in older bands such as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Pink Floyd. Despite his musical talents Igor started his career on television as a child actor– he was cast as “Candinho” in the TV Globo series “Um So Coracao“. He had to play the piano on set and his mother, Regina, who is a pianist, taught him for the role. This sparked his interest in music and with time it has developed further. Today Igor plays seven instruments including acoustic and electric guitar, as well as piano. He has recently announced that his current girlfriend, Paty Dias is pregnant with a boy who will be named Antonio.

Michael

Michael Band Richardson is the oldest of the group and was born on April 25, 1994. He is the grandson of an Englishman and has lived in Singapore, Mato Grosso do Sul (a

brazilian state) and Rio de Janeiro, where he currently resides. Michael is both strong and sensitive, which is reflective in his music. Inspired by artists such as The Maine, Justin Timberlake, Two Door Cinema Club and The Kooks, Michael has played the guitar since age 9. Before joining P9 he was in an Indie-Rock band with his friends called “On The Edge”. With all his funny quirks aside, the others in the group say he’s the most responsible one of the group. He is known for putting up with things others would have given up on halfway through.

Jonathan

Jonathan Couto de Souza was born on August 24, 1994 in Rio de Janeiro and didn’t originally want to pursue a career in music. He was part of a talent agency as a model when the auditions for a boy band came around and he went out of fun. Proving a very loyal worker and always pushing himself since his history with music isn’t as extensive as some of the other members. Jonathan’s collection of snapbacks and high-tops are only an extra layer to his love of Rap and Hip Hop music. The other members of the band pride themselves in having this influence that isn’t usually present in traditional boybands. Even though Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky are some of his most played artists, many people are surprised to find out that Jon was a part of typical brazilian pagode/samba group with his school friends for fun. During that time he learned to play many Brazilian instruments, of which the “tantan” is his specialty.

Gui

Guilherme dos Santos, born on May 10, 1995, is the youngest member of P9. He is the source of positive energy and good vibes in the band. Different from the other members, Gui started his career in theater, but eventually music won his heart over. Being in a talent agency for acting led him to various auditions, which ended up guaranteeing him a place in the group. With a very classic style, he loves all kinds of music from samba and soul to jazz and pop. His biggest influences come from traditional Brazilian artists Chico Buarque, Ellis Regina and Cazuza.

AccomplishmentsP9 have toured around Brazil and performed on various festival stages such as “Z Festival”, “NoCapricho” and more. They opened for Justin Bieber on the “Believe Tour” in November 2013 and for One Direction on the “Where We Are Tour” in May of 2014, both shows with audiences of over 80,000 people.The band’s first ever show was at the “Fundicao Progresso” venue in Rio de Janeiro in March 2013. Since then they have released a self-titled debut album which they recorded in late 2012 in New York City. The percussion on the album was recorded by legendary Brazilian musician and percussionist Carlinhos Brown.