Meet Amata, the new epicenter of rap in SP that attracts names like Mano Brown and Karol Conká

In the soundtrack that rocks the nights of São Paulo during the pandemic, rap is returning to being one of the main sounds of the city’s bars and clubs, after having lived its heyday in the 1980s. And there is a new epicenter of rhythm in the capital. —Amata, a bar in Pinheiros that has frequently brought together the current national rap scene and has become the meeting point for MCs.

When visiting the house on a Friday, for example, it is not uncommon to find, between a drink and another, names like Djonga, FBC, Tasha and Tracie or a member of the Racionais MCs group.

With a more intimate space and more reserved areas, the rappers’ new HQ in São Paulo is run by music producer Felipe Lacine, who decides who will perform at the house. “The idea is to be a multicultural space. That’s why we pay attention to trends and novelties in the scenario, including sounds that are still little worked on”, comments Renato Vicari, owner of the house.

The space opened in November 2020 and since the beginning has had performances by well-known names in rap, but until the middle of last year the bar was best remembered for electronic music parties. The turning point took place with the organization of events, cocktails and auditions of new albums for artists and journalists only.

The most representative of them was Baile da Ceia, in October last year, which was a celebration of the five years of the production company of the same name and which featured concerts by all the artists hired by the label and guests such as Mano Brown and Karol Conká. The program was a more exclusive preview of the festival that later took place in December, this time open to the public, at Audio, also in São Paulo.

In times of a pandemic, Amata also attracts the public because of its 310 square meters, divided into four areas, two of which are outdoors. Visitors can immediately see a hall with a bar, benches and an open veranda at the entrance. In the next room, there is a stage with a DJ in a more reserved floor.

Going further to the back of the establishment, you reach an open-air garden with more than 50 species of plants from the Atlantic Forest — this is where the shows usually take place. With the floor on a slight slope and the stage set up at the bottom, the space takes on the appearance of an auditorium.

In all, 550 people can walk around the place, which also has a terrace with artificial grass, tables and a view of the Instituto Tomie Ohtake. Even so, on popular concert days, the house is packed.

At the bar, one of the highlights is the signature Gin-Ger, a mix of gin and raspberry, vermouth, lemon juice and orange bitters, which costs R$34. When it’s time to eat, the menu highlights the ham and onion snack. caramelized in cachaça, iceberg lettuce and vinaigrette tartar — the snack also costs R$34.

The schedule for the next few days features hip-hop news. On Thursday, the 20th, the trap group formed by women Hyperanhas takes the stage. On the same day, DJ Mass, Sophia, and Heron Love, known for mixing funk and rap sequences, set the tone for the dance floor.