World Rock Day: original bands strengthen independent scene in Amapá

READ ALSO: World Rock Day has a free show at Capital Inicial in Macapá Léo Santana, Gusttavo Lima and Wesley Safadão are among the attractions at Expofeira do Amapá Várzea With less than a year of career and five songs of their own, the band Várzea already receives a question from the public: “when will new songs come out?”. The band emerged in August 2025 from an idea by guitarist Wendril Araújo. After years in other projects in the Amapá scene, he brought together musicians who were also looking for a new path to invest in original work. Wendril completed the band's formation with the arrival of bassist Sandra Borges, vocalist El dos Anjos and drummer Arthur Barbosa. Despite their recent debut, the members have years of experience in other groups and have followed different phases of independent rock in Amapá. The name was born during a conversation between the musicians. The inspiration came from the hangover areas of Santana, a municipality where three of the four members grew up. The reference to the territory also helped to build the band's identity. That's why Várzea defines its style as "visceral rock with black mud". "Our proposal was to make a rawer, more underground sound. The name matched this idea and became part of the band's concept. It is a reference to our municipality and something we see every day in our reality", says the drummer. Banda Várzea performing at the World Rock Day Festival, in Macapá Maria Clara Prudêncio/G1 AP The lyrics talk about urban daily life, social conflicts and youth. For musicians, Várzea is a space to transform personal references into music and create their own sound. "We haven't even had a year as a band yet and our repertoire only has five songs so far, but there are already people asking when more are going to come out. We perform and notice them enjoying the sound. This shows that we are on the right path, it gives us the energy to continue", says Arthur. The public's feedback also shows changes in the scene. For the members, collectives and events have opened space for independent bands, but there are still difficulties in finding places that value original music. According to Wendril, many bands continue to stick to covers because they face difficulties in reaching new audiences. "We see a lot of places with special dates dedicated to Nirvana or Guns N' Roses, but we don't see much space for original bands. So it's more difficult for the independent crowd, but we continue making music and playing at events, in collectives and in bars focused on our audience", says Wendril. Índ'go Índ'go debuted in 2016 after the end of the band Sistema Urbano 18. The members decided to follow a new path, change the name and focus the project on original songs. The change marked a new phase for the group, which began to create its own compositions and build an identity linked to alternative rock and indie rock. Over time, the lineup changed. Some members followed other paths, but Caio César remained from the beginning. Today, the band has Caio on vocals, João Djalma on bass, Iann de Magalhães on drums and Bayron Jardim on guitar. From right to left: Iann Magalhães, João Djalma and Bayron Jardim. In the center, Gaius Caesar. Personal archive/Ind'go Índ'go mixes influences from alternative rock and indie rock with elements of Amazonian culture. The identity appears in the artwork of the singles, in the lyrics and in references to mara bass, batuque and brega. "We bring our regional urban experiences. There's a singing accent, there are quick references to the rhythms here. All of this shapes our sound", explains Caio. After years of experience, the vocalist recognizes that creating original rock in Amapá continues to be a challenge. According to him, the public has become more segmented, rehearsal spaces have decreased and many bars still maintain fees below the market. But, despite the difficulties of maintaining a rock band, Índ'go continues to create and bring compositions to the public. "The thing is to resist, play whenever we can, have our own niche, promote it and keep having fun. Above all, rock is about fun, telling stories, anguish, talking about love, criticizing some things and showing the universe that is each human being", he says. For Caio, the strength of the independent scene comes from the dedication of the artists who create, publish work and find ways to keep rock present in Amapá. "The scene here may not have the structure of big cities, but that's precisely why it ends up being very real. Bands put on shows because they believe in what they create, they share equipment and musicians when necessary, they organize their own events and build a loyal audience little by little." See the latest news from g1 Amapá World Rock Day celebrates 27 years in Amapá with programming at Praça da Bandeira