music with a backstory, meaning & a message??…in 2012 whoda thunk it!

Until Nuno Barbosa created the new ‘Selaron’ music video for MAGNOLIUS, famed Brazilian artist Jorge Selaron was unaware that the Toronto based hip-hop duo had written a song about him.

To highlight the song from their award winning sophomore album Mary Musth, MAGNOLIUS held a music video contest and received submissions from around the world, but only one captured the heart of the track.

MAGNOLIUS visited Rio de Janeiro’s Escadaria Selaron (Selaron’s Staircase) while touring in 2008 and found inspiration on the mosaic tiled steps that symbolize harmony and cultural independence. A global destination where countries are marked by their own vibrant patch of stone, the iconic hand-made stairway by Jorge Selaron is also featured in Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful” and U2′s “Walk On” music videos.

A graphic artist with Dreamlab, Nuno Barbosa is based in Aveiro, Portugual, where he was moved by the song’s lyrics and jazz-infused beat. “This music video was a pleasure to make,” says Barbosa. “When I found out the song was inspired by Jorge Selaron, I thought of the Gaudi-like style that he used in creating the ever-evolving masterpiece. I looked for places that were grey or dismal so that I could bring them to life.”

By chance, Barbosa contacted his friend J. Goncalves who was visiting Rio de Janeiro. Goncalves in turn reached out to Selaron and met with him on the famous steps, camera in hand, bringing the song around the world and back to the spot where it all began.

MAGNOLIUS will be embarking on their second U.S. tour this summer promoting their upcoming album The Chosen Ones.