Today I’m speaking to Laylah Arruda, musician and founder of Feminine Hi-Fi, a Brazilian record label that exclusively champions the sounds of women in reggae and dub.
A pioneer of sound system culture in Brazil, Laylah reflects on her career as a performer and label manager, sharing the motivation behind Feminine Hi-Fi, and why the celebration of women’s voices should extend far beyond March 8th.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
My name is Laylah Arruda, I’m singer, songwriter and producer, and I manage a label called Feminine Hi-Fi Records, focused on women’s releases. I’m from São Paulo, Brazil, and mom of a 6 year old little girl.
Currently, I have a live dub music project with live bass, alongside producer and bass player, Tael Bassie. With this project, I sing and we bring a dub mixing experience and live bass playing by Tael to sound system sessions. The repertoire includes my original compositions and also instrumentals from Link Up Studio, as Tael Bassie signs his productions.
I’ve had the opportunity to do seven international tours, which has allowed me to collaborate with great artists whom I greatly admire, both abroad and in Brazil. To name a few: Max Romeo, Yellowman, and Stranger Cole, for whom I did backing vocals on their Brazil/Latin America tours; Channel One S.S., when I was invited to sing at their 40th anniversary at the Notting Hill Carnival; OBF S.S., with whom I have recordings and releases; Joseph Cotton, with whom I have a feat., among other international and Brazilian artists.
I’m one of the first artists to perform on the microphone in Sound System sessions in Brazil, and I have been doing this for 23 years. This brings recognition from the audience and a great complete perspective on how everything happened in my country, which fills me with joy and pride.
What sparked your interest in collecting records?
My interest, as an artist who makes my own music and manages a label, is more focused on releasing records than collecting them. The idea is to “collect” releases so that those who enjoy acquiring records can enjoy what I, as an artist, and the label I manage can offer.
So, speaking of releases, I highlight the vinyl of the song “Ni Una Menos,” a collaboration with the producers from Rome, Italy, I Neurologici, released by the Real Rock label.
This song has a special meaning because it carries a message of female resistance against the violence of the patriarchy, and it exalts the well-known Latin American movement Ni Una Menos. I wrote the chorus in three languages – Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian – because I was asked to write this song by the women’s movement in Italy, to be the soundtrack for their street march of 8th March that year.
“We ended up becoming a hub of the female movement in Sound System culture in Brazil”
Tell us more about Feminine Hi-Fi…
Feminine Hi-Fi born in 2016 under the discomfort of realising that female artists were rarely invited to line-ups and that invitations were concentrated around March 8th. In 2016 we joined together with many artists and, instead of accepting invitations from men, we held our own session, which was very significant and had a large audience. We ended up becoming a hub of the female movement in Sound System culture in Brazil, we felt and experienced its expansion to other parts of the world, and many artists in the scene were born or “matured” from this movement.
Over these years we performed at numerous events, festivals and clubs in Brazil and abroad, until this year, 2025, we mutually decided to end this artistic activity, maintaining only the label under my management.
What’s the most prized record in your collection?
My first vinyl release, from 2011, was “Olhem para África” (Look to Africa), a song recorded in 2009. Currently, I see that in the record market it has become a rare and expensive item, and it’s still highly sought after, which makes me very happy.
Follow Laylah’s life as a musician and manager on Instagram and check out Feminine Hi-Fi’s roster of women in reggae and dub here.
