Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with 26 fingertrips
Founded by Enrico Minelli, Adriano Chiappetta, Guilherme Chiappetta, André Uba, and Vicente Rufino in _1999_, 26 Fingerprints is a rock band with strong influences from Nu Metal and compositions that blend rock and grunge.
1. What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I have a very vivid memory of being at my parents’ house and listening to Tom Jobim playing. That marked me deeply; the mix of melody and poetry made me understand, even without being able to explain it yet, that music had a different kind of power. I think that’s where this passion began to awaken, a passion that has only grown with time.
2. How did your passion for creating music begin?
It started in my teens, when I was about 14 or 15 years old. I decided to learn to play guitar, and my brother, who is now the band’s bassist, decided to learn bass guitar. A few years later, when I was about 20, we got together with some friends and formed a band to create our own music. Since then, I’ve never stopped composing and playing.
3. What’s the story behind your current music project?
26 Fingerprints was born without great pretensions, in the early 2000s. I wanted to put together a rock band that mixed elements of hip hop, something that was still quite uncommon at the time. I met Vicente (our DJ) in college, and together we started looking for other members. My brother agreed to join, called Enrico (vocalist) and André (drummer), and that’s how the band took shape.
We made several original songs, played at local festivals, did shows… Until in 2003, everyone went their own way. Now, 25 years later, we decided to revisit that material and re-release the songs we created back then with a new energy, but preserving the original spirit of the band..
4. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
The sound of 26 Fingerprints is a blend that truly reflects who we are. Each member brings a different background, and this translates into a sound that combines hard rock with influences from hip hop, grunge, metal, and even jazz. It’s heavy, but it has groove; it’s energetic, but it also has room for experimentation.
5. What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I learned the importance of knowing how to listen. Playing in a band is a lesson in coexistence and listening. Creating music alone and creating with other people are completely different experiences, and working in a group teaches you to detach yourself, to compromise, to realize that a good idea can come from anyone. This completely changes the way you compose..
6. What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
These days, the guitar remains my starting point. But we use the computer a lot to record ideas. Programs like Logic or Ableton, for example, are essential tools. And of course, the good old notebook, which is still where many lyrics begin to take shape.
7. Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’ve been listening to a lot of different things lately. I like discovering new sounds. Two Brazilian bands that have caught my attention are Terno Rei and Rancore; both released new songs this year that are incredible.
8. How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
Personal experience influences everything. The way you see the world changes over time, and the music changes along with it. The lyrics, the themes, even the way you play begin to reflect this maturation. Today’s 26 Fingerprints is not the same as the one from 2000, and that’s what makes the process interesting.
9. What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I think the main thing is that people connect in some way. Each person will listen to a song and feel something different, and that, for me, is the most beautiful thing. It could be nostalgia, it could be energy, it could be identification with a lyric… The idea is that our music provides companionship, that it evokes some kind of genuine emotion in people.
10. What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Music has taught me that I am never alone. It’s a way of connecting with people, with time, and with memory itself. Music makes you laugh, cry, reflect, travel. It’s pure catharsis, and perhaps that’s why it’s so necessary..
11. What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Music has taught me that I am never alone. It’s a way of connecting with people, with time, and with memory itself. Music makes you laugh, cry, reflect, travel. It’s pure catharsis, and perhaps that’s why it’s so necessary.12. If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Wow, that’s a tough one! (laughs)
Vocalists: Freddie Mercury, Layne Staley, Eddie Vedder, and Thom Yorke – they all have unique voices and incredible delivery.
Guitarists: Tony Iommi, George Harrison, Jack White, Tom Morello, Andreas Kisser, and Thomas Raggi. They are musicians with personality and attitude.
And the drummers, well, I’m a fan of the classics from the 60s and 70s: John Bonham, Mitch Mitchell, Ginger Baker. These guys made history!Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
https://www.youtube.com/@26fingerprints
14. Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
For now, the idea is to continue re-releasing the songs we created back then, to record this moment and share it with whoever wants to listen. If all goes well, maybe in 2026 or 2027 we’ll start composing new material again. But no rush: the most important thing for us now is to enjoy the process and let the music happen naturally.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
The songs were made with heart, and 26 Fingerprints is a celebration of friendship.
