People raised under a blazing sun carry that heat with them wherever they go. Even in Seoul, on the other side of the world, the sun of Rio still lives and breathes through Kauê’s voice and movement.
Back during “Santos Bravos: La Serie,” you introduced yourself by saying, “I can be positive, but I can also be dark. I am my culture, I am my ancestry, I am my people.” Who is Kauê today?
Kauê: I think I’d still answer that question in a pretty similar way. I’m someone with a lot of different sides, and I’m constantly changing. I still feel like I’m getting to know myself every single day. Sometimes I feel like I change so much within a single week—even within a single day. As life keeps pushing me into situations where I have to work harder, or face things I used to be afraid of, I think I’ve naturally changed a lot, too.
But if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed, it’s this: as an artist, the most important thing for me has always been truly enjoying the time I spend onstage. If an artist can’t enjoy performing—the nerves, the adrenaline, all of it—then I don’t think they’re truly living their art the way they’re meant to. Even now, whenever I get nervous before a performance, I tell myself, “You were born to do this. If you can’t enjoy this moment, it’s never going to become a good memory.” So, I try. I think “try” might be the most important word in my life. I try to enjoy every moment as much as I can. Even when things feel scary or overwhelming, I remind myself that being able to stand onstage is a gift. I don’t want to let those moments pass me by just because I was too consumed by fear.
Even though you said that before your debut, it still feels closely connected to the core idea behind SANTOS BRAVOS—the coexistence of “SANTO,” which embraces vulnerability and softness, and “BRAVO,” which represents strength and passion. What do you think your own “SANTO” side is?
Kauê: I think “SANTO” is basically just who I am. I’m naturally pretty shy, and people around me often tell me I’m very sweet. I like that side of myself, too. I think that’s also the side fans connect with the most—the softer part of me. Honestly, sometimes it feels like the fans understand my personality even better than I do. (laughs)
What about your “BRAVO” side?
Kauê: That’s the side of me that comes out when I’m working as part of SANTOS BRAVOS. It comes out onstage, or whenever I’m giving my opinion about vocals, songwriting, or production. There’s nothing more important to me than this group. So, I’m usually the first person to speak up. I’ll say things like, “I don’t think this is quite right,” or “I really like this,” or “I think we can take this idea even further.”
You’re the only introvert in the group. At the same time, you seem incredibly passionate.
Kauê: I’m introverted, but extroverted too at the same time. Where I grew up, in Rio, it’s almost impossible to live as a complete introvert. The second you step outside, someone’s going to start talking to you. Even if we were sitting here right now and an older person walked by, they’d probably strike up a conversation about literally anything—bread, juice, whatever comes to mind. Growing up in that kind of environment definitely shaped my personality a lot. But when it comes to work, or being around people I’ve just met, I become a total introvert. At the same time, I think being introverted has its strengths too. It makes me more observant and more careful about how I act around people. That’s why I like to call myself an ambivert.
You once said that Latin people are connected through a kind of shared energy—"molho .” You also mentioned that even before speaking the same language, you and the SANTOS BRAVOS members could understand each other just by looking at one another.
Kauê: Exactly. Since all of the members are Latino, even before I started learning Spanish, we could already understand each other surprisingly well just through the way we looked at one another. Even if I didn’t understand every word, it still felt like the emotions came through. That happened a lot between Kenneth and me during the boot camp. One time, someone was talking about a ring, but I had no idea what the Spanish word for “ring” was, so I was completely lost. Then Kenneth pointed at his finger to give me a hint, and I immediately went, “Oh, they’re talking about a ring!” Over time, we naturally created our own weird little way of communicating—a mix of language and gestures. And eventually, it wasn’t just the language we understood better, but each other too.
With three different languages being spoken within the group, I imagine a lot of funny situations come up. One of the most famous stories among fans is when you were trying to explain “liquidificadora”—the Portuguese word for “blender”—and ended up communicating by making blender noises instead of actually saying the word. How do you try to understand each other when you’re speaking different languages?
Kauê: Honestly, it takes a lot of effort. I’ve been learning Spanish, but there are so many moments where I think a word means one thing, and it turns out to mean something completely different. That happens in English sometimes, too. But experiences like that have actually helped us learn more about each other’s cultures. I also think they’ve made us more thoughtful about when and how we use certain words. Because of that, even though I still can’t speak Spanish perfectly, I feel like I can understand it pretty well now.
Does singing feel different depending on the language you’re singing in?
Kauê: Completely. My voice naturally sits in a lower range, but when I sing in English or in Spanish, my tone tends to get a little higher. The natural rhythm and flow of Portuguese are really different from English or Spanish. So, whenever I’m speaking or singing, it almost feels like two—sometimes even three—different languages are moving inside me at once. It’s really interesting.
On tracks like “VELOCIDADE” and “0% (Portuguese Ver.),” the members had to sing and rap in Portuguese. One memorable moment from the behind-the-scenes footage was watching you personally teach the other members the language.
Kauê: I remember that for weeks before we went into the studio, I’d take the members up to the third floor of our dorm almost every day and basically turn it into a little classroom. I’d tell them, “Alright, sing it for me. Let’s see if you actually memorized it.” That’s how we practiced together. I also recorded guides myself so the members could get used to how Portuguese should sound—the pronunciation, where to break the phrases, the overall feel of it. There were so many fun moments during that process.
Are there any behind-the-scenes moments from those recordings that still stand out to you?
Kauê: There’s one story I really love from when Gabi was recording “VELOCIDADE.” There’s a word in the lyrics—frente—but he kept pronouncing it like “French.” So I joked, “What, are you going to France or something?” (laughs) That’s honestly how we help each other most of the time—by joking around and teasing one another. Even though the members were struggling with Portuguese at first, they’re all really smart and pick things up quickly, so they adapted way faster than I expected. I’m really proud of them.
“VELOCIDADE” is not only inspired by Brazilian funk, but also written in Portuguese. What did it feel like to hear a part of your home and culture woven into the group’s music?
Kauê: It made me really proud. Even now, seeing fans sing along to “VELOCIDADE” at concerts still feels unreal to me in the best possible way. It honestly gets emotional every time. As someone from Brazil, it was incredibly moving to see music in my language reaching Spanish-speaking countries and connecting with people there. Part of me even felt relieved, like, “Okay… maybe now people can finally understand a little more of what I’ve been trying to express.” (laughs) And when people who don’t even speak Portuguese start singing along to “VELOCIDADE,” I feel like they’re naturally being introduced to the rhythms and energy that make Brazilian funk so unique. I hope our music can help people around the world see Brazil as a place that creates incredible artists, culture, and music.
What does Rio de Janeiro mean to you?
Kauê: Rio is everything to me. From the moment I wake up in the morning to the moment I fall asleep at night, Rio is always on my mind. Right now, I’m living the kind of life both my mother and I once dreamed of—traveling the world and doing what I love. But strangely enough, living far away from home has made me realize just how important the place I come from and my culture really are. It’s also made me understand how important it is not to lose that connection, because it’s such a big part of what keeps me grounded and reminds me who I am.
When do you feel that connection most strongly?
Kauê: I went back home recently for a short vacation, and I spent so much time under the sun that my skin got incredibly dark. But I was so happy the entire time. When I was younger, I used to say things like, “I don’t really like the heat,” or “I don’t like being in the sun.” But after living away from Brazil, I realized I’m actually someone who loves the heat. I love the sun. I even love the feeling of getting sunburned a little. And I think the fact that I only realized that after leaving Brazil made Rio feel even more special to me.
It sounds like you’ve been ARMY for a long time.
Kauê: BTS was the biggest reason I ever started wanting to sing and dance. There were a lot of difficult periods in my life growing up, and every time, BTS’s music was what helped me get through them. I’d spend hours every day listening to their songs, and it genuinely felt like they were healing parts of me that were hurting. “Spring Day” especially became like a lifeline for me. Whenever things felt overwhelming, I’d put it on and cry. Then I’d listen to “Butterfly,” cry even more, and eventually start listening to their newer songs until I slowly started feeling okay again. It became a kind of routine for me. BTS really helped me overcome a lot in my life. In some ways, I think they helped make me the person I am today.
The boy in Rio who once listened to BTS is now seeing support trucks celebrating him outside HYBE’s headquarters.
Kauê: Honestly, it was overwhelming in a way that still doesn’t feel real to me. Seeing those trucks made me realize just how much DUAL truly does for us. It went beyond simple messages like “We love you” or “We support you.” I could genuinely feel how deeply they care about SANTOS BRAVOS, no matter where we are in the world. Whenever fans show that kind of dedication, it really gets to me emotionally. There were so many times in my life when I felt completely alone, but I don’t feel that way anymore. I have the members, and I have the fans. Now, whether we’re in Colombia, Korea, Japan—or even the moon—I feel certain that the fans would still find a way to send us their love there too. Because I know how hard they always try to show us just how much they care.
So much in your life has changed. But even through all of that, what’s something about you that you feel will never change?
Kauê: Something that’ll never change… There definitely is. I grew up singing in a church really close to my house in Brazil. Lots have changed, but there are still parts of me that have never left. One of them is the way I sing. My vocal technique has changed, and my voice itself has changed a lot over time. But the real artist inside me—that little Kauê who used to sing like he was pouring absolutely everything out of himself, like he could knock people over with pure emotion—he’s still here. I really don’t think that part of me has changed at all. My voice may have gotten deeper and more mature, but deep down, I still feel like the same person. The same kid who just wanted to connect with people and share his voice and energy with them.