The Mix 107: Caio Prince

Once in a while, producers recognise that they’re sitting on gold. In the case of São Paulo’s DJ Caio Prince, it was his destructive club track ‘Botano (Útero Baixo)’ that sparked that realisation. Produced alongside fellow Brazilian artists MC LUANNA, MU540 and DJ Thiago Martins several years before its official 2024 release, Caio Prince thought it best to withhold the track from streaming services temporarily. “It made people go crazy looking for it,” he jokes. “But one thing was certain – if you wanted to hear it, you had to come to our shows and experience it in real life.”

After the track was released, it gained momentum naturally without promotion or label backing, doing the rounds across TikTok and Instagram reels and finding its way into DJ sets across the world. It spurred a wave of unofficial edits and remixes from artists like baile funk DJ Clementaum and hip hop duo Irmãs de Pau, while the original swiftly stacked up millions upon millions of streams.

Today, Caio Prince is riding high off the sound of bruxaria, which he’s helped to send skywards – an offshoot of funk mandelão that originated in the south of São Paulo. Translating to ‘witchcraft’ from Portuguese, bruxaria has taken off over the last decade, known for its ruthless, dark and industrial take on typical Brazilian funk music, a sound that Caio Prince now deals in on a regular basis. And while his unrelenting touring schedule takes him all over the world, he always makes sure to check in with the street bailes and queer parties where he cut his teeth.

Read this next: The UK loves baile funk — but does it understand it?

Ahead of his performance at London’s Boa Nova Festival on May 22, the UK’s first-ever large-scale event dedicated to Brazilian music, we spoke to Caio Prince about the emerging and evolving sound of bruxaria, regaining queer inclusivity in the Brazilian funk scene, and the impact of viral success. He also delivers a turbo-charged mix celebrating the many mutations of Brazilian funk – check it out below.

Can you tell us about your time growing up amongst the street parties in São Paulo? What was that experience like?

My music is Brazilian funk, Brazilian dancehall, and Brazilian electronic music. When we talk about that, it’s impossible not to think about the street parties that are super popular in São Paulo and many other Brazilian cities. My teenage years were shaped by street parties moving between funk and dancehall, what we call ‘baile’ here, and that was one of the things that moulded me as an artist. Music really connects us in very interesting ways, and growing up consuming popular Brazilian music from the outskirts feels like having a superpower.

When your track ‘Botano (Útero Baixo)’ blew up, what was the reception like? How did it impact the trajectory of your career?

Everything was really cool! It’s a production we’d sat on for many years that stayed unreleased for a long time, and it made people go crazy looking for the track. But one thing was certain – if you wanted to hear it, you had to come to our shows and experience it in real life. When we finally released it, the response was exactly what we expected, we created a huge hit! Today, in less than two years, we have an independent track with more than 30 million streams. Whether we like it or not, that opened many doors and created huge opportunities for our careers. Funk has that power!

Read this next: 10 crucial tracks telling the history of São Paulo's baile funk scene, curated by Baile LDN

How has it been taking your style of bruxaria and funk to other continents and countries? Have you seen a growth in those styles outside of Brazil, and what do you think draws people to that sound?

Funk in general has been conquering the world, there’s no denying that. When we talk about funk bruxaria, an aggressive style with lots of high frequencies that comes from São Paulo, we can clearly see how much space it has gained, especially in the global club scene. Even though we see many international artists playing tracks by Brazilian bruxaria producers, the coolest thing is seeing these artists dreaming bigger and also being able to perform outside of Brazil, which is still something very new for us. Because the elements are so electronic based, this sub-genre of Brazilian funk naturally connects with the global electronic music scene, while also attracting more and more people to Brazilian music.

Your sets are so high energy and skilled in the way you loop and blend - how do you prepare for a set? Do you improvise as you go?

I like to have fun while I’m playing. Nowadays, I play and research a lot more than just bruxaria, and I like moving through other funk subgenres, dancehall, and more. I don’t usually rehearse before shows, I prefer feeling the energy of the moment and just playing around with the CDJs, always thinking about new possibilities.

You’re playing London’s new Boa Nova festival next weekend, what can people expect from your set?

I’m really excited for Boa Nova Festival. I’m sure the crowd will be shocked by how many amazing things Brazilian DJs are bringing through right now. The artists’ musicalities are very similar, but what’s most interesting is how we manage to do it in completely different ways while everything still connects. Speaking for myself, I want the dancefloor to feel like we’re inside a Brazilian street party. The party is going to be incredible, we’re going to turn it into a huge celebration!

What do you enjoy most about the dance music scene in São Paulo? Are there any parties or artists people should know about?

In São Paulo, I often go to amazing parties, and you can’t visit the city without checking out parties like Fuego Dancehall, Dance Machine Sound System, Baile do Helipa, Submundo 808 and BDX. These are parties where you’ll find the best of independent music, popular music and a culture of the very highest quality. Even with my busy schedule, whenever I can, I go out to enjoy these parties as a guest too! I’d also encourage everyone to check out artists including Scof Savage, Vita Pereira, Katy da Voz e as Abusadas, Ciça, Isma and Christopher Luz.

Read this next: 16 tracks from women energising Brazil’s house and techno scene, curated by Carola

What’s next for you?

Right now, I have some future projects coming up, but at the moment I’m focused on studying and mainly resting. Being an artist demands a lot of attention to both your mental and physical health, and to create great releases, we definitely need to be healthy first. More coming soon!

Can you tell us about your mix?

My mix brings out a lot of what I feel when I’m playing for a crowd, and also what I personally like to listen to. For a long time, there was this taboo that funk wasn’t for LGBTQI+ people, but ever since I started DJing, I’ve always stood by the idea that thinking this way erases the existence of queer bodies from the outskirts. So many people are surprised by the music I play, music that in the past, was mostly consumed and produced by straight people. Today, that’s no longer the full truth. We’re showing that queer people are also in control of this movement, alongside everyone else. Funk is a huge movement!

Caio Prince performs at Boa Nova Festival in London on May 22. Grab your tickets here

Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Instagram

Tracklist:
1. PinkPantheress - Stars (DJ Caio Prince & Adame DJ Remix)
2. Karan! - Botano (Útero Baixo) (Ódio Remix)
3. DJ Caio Prince & Adame DJ - Bruxaria Canônica
4. KUE & DJ Caio Prince - RAJADÃO CELESTIAL
5. DJ Caio Prince, Don Low & Mc Gusto - Novinha Parisiense
6. DJ Pablo RB, DJ Caio Prince, Mc Jhey & Rn Original - FEITIÇARIA UNTITLED
7. DJ Caio Prince, DJ BA$$AN, MU540, MC ZL, MC Bellatriz & DPaula - BOTADÃO COM FORÇA
8. DJ Vaz do Bega & Mc Ster - Agressivo Tenebroso (Escute o Porradão)
9. MC Lan, DJ Rafinha Dz7 & DJ TENEBROSO - Terror Oriental
10. petrus.wav & DJ Cali - BAILE FUNK
11. DJ Pablo RB & Vitu Único - MEGA VEM PEL4DONA
12. DJ Ery - Desentupir Ouvido
13. DJ MVB7, Halc DJ & MC VN Cria - K9
14. DJ Ianco, DJ Rafinha Duarte & Mc Gw (ft. Mc Magrinho) - Beat 85
15. kLap - D4
16. DJ DN 07, Jhow & BONEKINHA IRAQUIANA - Bruxaria Nós Vai Descer Roubando
17. DJ TURIN & MC VK DA VS - BARULHO DO ROCK
18. 3ron & Lawrie - PENETRA
19. DJ Keevin, DJ VL7 & DJ Lk da VB - O ROCK VIVE
20. DJ Talala & Mc Gw - Rock Derruba Batalhão
21. DJ Caio Prince, DJ Dayeh & MC BIBI DRAK - Terror da Zona Sul
22. DJ Caio Prince, DJ Kaue NC, and MC SANTT - Bruxaria do Roça Roça
23. d.silvestre - Tapa na Bunda do Silvestre
24. DJ Martinelli - BERIMBAU DOS PILANTRA
25. DJ Arthur ZS & DJ Silvinha - Berimbau Descontrolado 2
26. Anitta, petrus.wav, DJ Rafinha Duarte & deu nisso - Savage x FODE PRA CARALHO (LXKS Edit)
27. WEIRD BAILE -  FODE (+)
28. DJ GUINA, DJ Gouveia & Dj Deivão - Ela Ta Gemendo
29. DJ Dimas & DJ Novin Yarp -  MALIGNA
30. DJ LK Da VB and DJ MUTTLEY - TACA A MÃE PRA VER SE KIKA
31. DJ Thiago Martins - Sequência da Penetração 2
32. DJ DELAZARI, DJ Guxthavo sc, MC Vilã da 011 & MC Lele 011 - BERIMBAU DO BDO
33. DJ CAMPASSI, DJ GUI DO VRALL & Mc Rd - AUTO-RITMADA EXPLOSIVA
34. DJ ROMANO ZL, DJ Talala & MC VN CRIA - Noite dos Menor
35. DJ ROMANO ZL & Mc Zury - Criminosa
36. DJ Sant - QUE SOM DA PESTE
37. DJ Caio Prince, DJ Thiago Martins & Mc Marvin - Mama Olhando Pro Pai
38. DJ JEJEDAZS, Kayn & Malu Simon - Sequência de Botada
39. wBoy, DJ Caio Prince, MC Teteu - Faz a Pose (Remix)