Rafael Barata is a Brazilian drummer and percussionist who performed at Washington State University's 2025 Brazilian Jazz Fest in late October. While in Pullman, NWPB’s Phineas Pope sat down with Barata to talk about jazz. Here's part of that interview, which has been edited for length and clarity:
Phineas Pope: What's the role you see mentorship playing in developing the next generation of musicians, of jazz musicians?
Rafael Barata: This is very important, to be honest. You know, my first recording, I was 14, but the piano player — he was almost 60. He had a long career in Japan. He lived abroad for a long time. He’s got all the awards, and I learned playing with the masters. I believe there are only two ways to learn in life. You're hanging with the people that know, or you're gonna be like, miserable, and listening to these people, knocking your head on a wall until you finally realize what you should do.
So, I got this opportunity to play with way more experienced players than me. And I was always open ears, you know? No criticizing, I was always getting that to the good side. And I believe in the opportunity to bring artists that are in the field touring, playing different situations, to the students. It's a beautiful crossover there. I also learn with the students, you know, because I see what they're needing. I see what is going on right now with this generation, how we can handle it and how we can actually collaborate to improve it. So definitely it's —
Pope: It's a two-way street.
Barata: It's a two-way street, and it's very important.
Pope: Well, and on that, as someone at 14 who was playing with a pianist in his sixties [near 60], you've learned a lot. Advice you have for young musicians starting out, maybe starting out in college, maybe younger?
Barata: Well, if you are a musician, if you choose that, man, listen. Listen. You know, that's the only way. We are making music, we are creating sounds. Open your ears, be able to have a seat and listen to a record. Not only 15, 20 seconds on social media.
Pope: Is that something we're losing these days? The attention span of having the patience to listen to an entire record — is it different? Have you seen that change over your career?
Barata: Yes. Unfortunately, I have to say yes. I think we are really rushing nowadays. You know, being — unfortunately — slaves of all this technology put us a little away from the good time in life.
But I feel great here in your campus and in your city. I feel like life here, it's very nice. This whole scenario, this campus surrounded by nature. You know, silence gives you a good inference.
So take a chance, take opportunity and enjoy it because everything's gonna go by your fingers on a phone. And then nobody really wants to listen to a song. And if they do, it's just one song. It's not a record, it's a single thing. And everybody knows everything. They're always judging, so we need to enjoy life.
Pope: I know we don't have drums in here, but can you kind of tap out an example of a Brazilian rhythm? What's common?
Barata: Ah, OK. We don't have drums, but I'm a drummer, so I have to be prepared for any circumstance. So I have my pocket samba matchbox. This is very traditional from what I like to say, the golden era, when they're all making good stuff in an easy way. Like, you know, just banging a beer bottle with silverware. Or on a table, you know? Or matchboxes:
Pope: Rafael Barata, thanks so much for talking with me.
Barata: Oh, thank you so much!
