MU540 Plans to Bring ‘Brazilian Rhythm’ to India Debut

When São Paulo-based DJ MU540 got the news about his India debut at Lollapalooza 2026, he kept it pretty close to his chest at first. “I was extremely happy, but I didn’t tell anyone until the official announcement came out,” he tells Rolling Stone India. “Then, when everyone saw it, they were all happy for me too. It’s already a huge honor to participate in Lolla here in Brazil. But to be able to represent Brazil at Lolla India? It’s literally expanding my horizons.” 

MU540 (pronounced “MUZAO”) combines Brazilian funk music with genres as far and wide as trap, grime and house. Speaking about these influences, MU540 says, “Since I was little, I’ve enjoyed listening to different types of music and understanding the music scene in each place. This allows me to understand what people are listening to in other countries. I like to research these styles and mix them with funk, to see how our vocals sound on beats that are different from the norm.” 

Despite this musical curiosity, playing with Baile funk like this is not something MU540 takes lightly, and the magnitude of bringing a kind of music so influenced by the Brazilian favelas to other countries is not lost on him. “Taking my music so far and connecting with a new audience shows how special favela music is, and I know that I represent an entire community when I become one of the leading exponents of electronic music and Brazilian funk. In my research, there is a diverse selection of Brazilian music and producers from all over Brazil that I really like.” 

MU540’s musical mélange comes from humble beginnings — particularly FruityLoops and a late 2000s club pop classic. “I started producing at age 14, making some remakes, like Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas.”, explains MU540. “That’s when I began to better understand how the program I was using — FL Studio — worked, exploring timbres, beats and effects. Since then, it has become my main ally in production.” 

From there, MU540 hit the ground running with his 2018 debut album Musica Popular Favelada, Vol. 1, before steadily building up his buzz through numerous EPs, singles and collaborations with fellow Brazilian artists like hip-hop duo Tasha & Tracie and grime artist Fleezus. After creating a fan-favorite track in 2023’s “O Fantastico Mundo de Oakley”, MU540 topped Spotify’s viral chart with the summer jam “Botano” from his 2024 EP 4×4. 

MU540’s latest dance-floor igniter is Dois Quebrada Inteligente — an EP with rapper Kyan and a sequel to their earlier project UM Quebrada Inteligente, a scrapbook of their global explorations and a testament to their friendship. “We wanted to include a lot of our experiences traveling abroad, showing how we got to know the world through our work, something that came about through our friendship, because we are from the same place (the Baixada Santista area of Sao Paulo) and like the same things.” 

In fact, several publications credit MU540 and Kyan with creating a whole new subgenre known as “Frap” (funk + trap), but MU540 assures us that it’s not as serious as it seems. “The Frap thing was just Kyan and I messing around, because we didn’t know how to classify the song, since it had turned out so well. That day, we joked around and ended up nicknaming it ‘Frap 01’. It was just us having fun!” 

For now, MU540 is really excited to visit India, revealing that it is a country that has always sparked his curiosity. “When we think of incredible destinations to visit, India immediately comes to mind because it’s a country that is very rich culturally, full of colors and traditions. I’ve heard some Indian music and really liked it, but now I can’t even remember the names of the songs.” 

As Lollapalooza inches closer and Indian music fans wait to see him in action, MU540 looks forward to doing some cross-cultural analysis through his upcoming performance. “I want to do some research and see if Indians will understand us through the beats — if they won’t sound strange to them. When I listen to some Indian music, I can hear similarities with certain funk rhythms here, and that makes me very curious. I think Indians have a very advanced rhythmic awareness, and I’m sure they’ll pick up on the Brazilian rhythm.”