Despite having started earlier as a hobby, the band has its symbolic beginning in mid-2017, with rehearsals recorded at Oasis Music Video studio (in the video cinema hub, under the direction of musician, author, performer, and producer Ricardo Feghali), suggested by maestro Cleberson Horsth (coincidentally, both from the notorious band Roupa Nova, a great influence for this band). Other musicians participated in this phase, but the core was formed by João Marcelo Assafim and Diego Cavalcante. Later on, even though living in DF, João Guilherme Assafim joined. Consulted by JM (who had met Cleberson in the 1980s and reconnected with him in mid-2016) about a place to record and rehearse, Professor Horsth said, "-Call Ricardo. Write it down." And so it happened.

At a bar table (or a café), the band gathered (then a duo), JM talked to Ricardo and booked a schedule. Then, as JM hung up, he said, "-I have a clear impression that I know this voice. Could it be who I'm thinking of?"

After a series of events that led to a pause, the comeback in 2019 aimed for the show in Curitiba, in November 2019. The show took place at Praça de Espanha and had as its audience not only the local crowd but also participants from a relevant international legal congress. Under the auspices of Unicuritiba and CONPEDI.

It's difficult to find a single influence, but what is certain is the predominance of 1980s pop rock. Without disregarding the 1960s and 1970s, nor the country music or even the R&B of that period. More recently, gospel music has also emerged as an influence.

The backstory of the band comes from a name already considered due to its importance. Looking at the sky. To the stars. There was certainly a doubt between two names. Personal and legal peculiarities (it's a registered trademark with mixed presentation) determined the combination of two names in different languages. The figurative part was drawn by João Marcelo at the age of 13 (having used it in a campaign for the student council in 1986 - which brought luck, as the slate won the elections).

The band's name refers to the foundations of the past, to the bright person who once was in this world, and the title of the first "single" (of five singles in production) refers to the relevance of an enlightened person in the present, looking, together, towards the future.

The creative process largely comes from the consistency of rehearsals and the exchange of ideas among the members. Sometimes, however, it happens abruptly. In-person or remotely, over the phone. In the case of "Babe" (Crazy for You), the composition happened by chance in a single day, although the first "demo" (if only it were a cassette tape) was recorded later. On one hand, there were harmony, melody, and lyrics, on the other hand, riffs and musical arrangement suggestions. Creations emerge from the piano. Thus, JM brought harmony, melody, and lyrics. Diego Cavalcante, besides bringing provocation, musical elements, enhancements, composed the guitar solo and bass lines. However, the task would be impossible without cooperation.

The team's reinforcement came with Thiago Feghali (who replaced Diego on drums, his favorite instrument as a talented multi-instrumentalist), Leandro Barros, and in the well-crafted backings, Cadu and Carol Feghali.

From a legal perspective, every formal step of legal protections (intellectual property) and contractual matters was followed. The collaboration of Bruno Cochito (designer), Francisco Junior (international copyright manager), musician Beto Dourah (Tambaqui Records), and especially Marcio Proença (Tambaqui Records) was invaluable. Certainly, the credits include the Feghali family.

The musical production with Ricardo Feghali was an extraordinary moment, where, as the Band said, "we pinched ourselves. Is this real?" JM says: -We couldn't believe we were recording among the awards (including the Grammy - three of which were there - that DC almost dropped on the floor) and instruments of this caliber (the legendary white Takamine with Roupa's six-pointed star printed in blue). Recording where Roupa Nova recorded so many works that are part of the soundtrack of our lives. The contribution in reshaping the arrangement, while keeping the original composition, gave it a special shine. There were interesting musical debates during the recording process, which led to the growth of the result and, especially, a very particular touch in the single. The mixing and mastering work carried out directly by our music producer Ricardo Feghali was executed with extraordinary dedication, technical rigor, and professionalism: the master's class was an event in itself. Technical support from Paulo Cesar Victoriano (PC) supported the team throughout. The video was in charge of producer Alessandro Cardoso and under the artistic direction, again, of Ricardo Feghali. The challenge was to coordinate the schedule of this great team and still have JG - more dedicated to vocals, percussion, and folk guitar - living in Brasília. The release is set for 2024.

The message: there's no moment to fulfill a dream, it's never too late. Childhood dreams are a powerful fuel. They have the torque to get us out of our comfort zone. Moreover, they inspire. They transform the world. That's the role of artists and teachers. The Stardust-Raio de Luz Band is formed by artist teachers and teacher artists. At the same time, it's worth revisiting the romance and kindness that seem scarce nowadays. We were longing to hear what we listened to in the "Chevette" in 1984 (Roupa Nova, Paralamas, Blitz, for example, and among the international ones, Alessi Bros., Donna Summer, Commodores, Madonna, Genesis, Van Halen, Hall n Oates, Heart, Toto, Journey, Europe, etc.).

Ballad rock, romantic pop-rock in general, although still strong in our hearts, seems to have lost importance in various scenarios. However, many of us - starting with the band members - are longing for this sound, this energy, which seems to so well nourish our dreams, and the dreams of many. The studio's name is no coincidence: an Oasis for our sound, and we hope, that our sound is an Oasis for the dreams of many people.

The next steps are to conclude the ongoing productions, finalize the preparations for the show for next year, and, if possible, continue composing, whatever the Astral sends us.

Stardust - Raio de Luz