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Brazilian singer, composer and guitarist Cleber Augusto lost his voice to throat cancer 21 years ago, but thanks to AI, he’s got a new album out.
Warner Music Brazil released the deluxe edition of Augusto’s album Minhas Andanças on Wednesday (May 21), a feat that wouldn’t have been possible without the aid of generative AI.
To make it happen, the label collaborated with a number of samba artists, including Alexandre Marmita, a singer, composer, cavaquinho player and member of the famous Samba do Trabalhador – a samba circle that takes place every Monday at the Renascença club in Rio de Janeiro.
Marmita was chosen to be a “voice donor” for the album, chosen for the similarity of the tone of his voice to Augusto’s, and for his familiarity with Augusto’s work. Producers Alessandro Cardozo and Tony Vieira used AI tools to combine recordings of Augusto’s voice with Marmita’s vocals to create the new album.
The result was Minhas Andanças, which was released last month, ahead of this week’s unveiling of the deluxe edition. Along with re-recordings of classic tracks, the album features four previously unreleased tracks, including Imã, which was composed more than 20 years ago and rescued from one of Augusto’s old tapes.
“The voice is the soul of music, and AI allowed me to maintain the essence of my interpretation, even with technology. The end result is amazing,” Augusto said in a statement.
“The emotion and message of the songs remain intact, and that is what really matters. I thank Warner Music and everyone involved who made this project possible.”
“The voice is the soul of music, and AI allowed me to maintain the essence of my interpretation… The end result is amazing.”
Cleber Augusto
According to an article earlier this year at the Brazilian edition of Billboard, the project was Tony Vieira’s brainchild. Vieira serves A&R Manager at Warner Music Brazil.
“Technology, when used with respect and purpose, can be a great ally of art,” Vieira said.
“This project does not replace Cleber’s genius, but it allows his voice and his story to live on. It is a way to celebrate his legacy and show the world the importance of his work.”
Marmita added: “It was an immense honor to participate in this project and lend my voice to help technology bring back the singing of a master like Cleber. He is a reference for me and for many samba singers. Knowing that my tone served as the basis for this recreation is something that moves me deeply.”
Along with Marmita, the album features the talents of a number of samba artists, including Diogo Nogueira, Ferrugem, Marvvila, Menos é Mais, Mumuzinho, Pretinho da Serrinha, Roberta Sá, Seu Jorge, Sorriso Maroto, Tiê, Xande de Pilares, Yan, and Zeca Pagodinho.
This isn’t the first time that AI has been used to overcome a disability that prevented a prominent artist from continuing their career.
“This project does not replace Cleber’s genius, but it allows his voice and his story to live on.”
Tony Vieira, Warner Music Brazil
Last year, Warner Music Nashville released Where That Came From, the first track in over a decade from country star Randy Travis, who has suffered from limited speech since suffering a stroke.
In other instances, AI has been able to recreate music that would otherwise have been lost to history.
In the fall of 2023, The Beatles released Now and Then, a track that the late John Lennon recorded onto a boombox in 1978. That track was not of high enough quality to release, but the producers used AI to isolate Lennon’s vocal line, making it possible to create a new version of the track.
Now and Then gave The Beatles a musical charts record in the UK. It was the band’s first number one hit in 54 years – the longest gap between number-one hits by any musical act.Music Business Worldwide
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