#777
Carmen Souza
Carmen Souza was born in Lisbon (81) within a Christian family of Cape Verdeans. Very early she experienced the “Sodade” feeling of missing someone with the long absence of her father due to his work at sea. She grew up in a mixed language environment of Creole, the Cape Verde dialect her parents spoke at home, and Portuguese, always surrounded by the Cape Verdean way of life.
Theo Pascal, her producer, and mentor and one of the best bass players in Portugal, discovered her talent and introduced Carmen to Jazz and other contemporary sounds that markedly influenced her musical development.
Musicians like Theo Pascal, Horace Silver, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarret, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, etc, truly inspire her evolution and search for a unique personal style.
In 2003, Carmen began working with Theo on the compositions that would be included on her début album Ess ê nha Cabo Verde. Carmen wanted to create a new sound, in her ancestor’s dialect Creole, that would mix traditional African and Cape Verde rhythms like Batuke, Morna, Cola djon, and others, with her jazz contemporary influences, in a totally intimate and acoustic vibe, different from the traditional festive environment of Cape Verdean sounds.
Ess ê nha Cabo Verde, was released two years later in 2005 to critical acclaim and led to her international breakthrough performance at the WOMAD at Reading Festival of the same year.
In “Verdade” her second album, which She co-produces and features on Wurlitzer and guitar, released in 2008, Carmen Souza signs an exciting and melodically vibrant repertoire in Creole that once again received amazing reviews from the International Press worldwide.
After 2 critically acclaimed albums, Carmen Souza returns in 2010 with the impressive "Protegid" (Protected), her debut record with German label Galileo Music. In this cd, the music blends perfectly with elegance and sophistication the African and Cape Verdean traditional rhythms with Contemporary Jazz and Afro-Latin. Once again the two composers, Carmen Souza and Theo Pas’cal, present an album that pushes, even more, the limits of what constitutes the Cape Verdean music, World Music and Jazz. Carmen co-produces plays guitar, Rhodes and signs 11 out of the 12 lyrics of the album.
In Protegid, Carmen Souza singular vocal approach and courageous musical chooses earned her pairing with singers like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Cleo Laine, Eartha Kitt or Marie Daulne. Her Unique talent as a singer, composer and musician sets her apart from the female crowded Cape Verdean scene and progressively she is consolidating her own space in the World Music/Jazz music.
This new album received outstanding reviews from all over the World and the Press recognizes that something new is being developed in her music. World Music Central considers the album: “a landmark that will prompt you to embrace and at the same time rethink everything you know and love about the sounds of Cape Verde”, NPR says: “opens a window to another world entirely” and The Independent declares: “the poetic voice is as original as the musical one”.
Protegid received a nomination for the German Record Critic’s Award, enters the World Music Charts Europe in April and was included in the list of pre-nominated albums for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music album. A new edition of Verdade, her second album re-issued in 2010 by Galileo, also enters the WMCE in August and by the end of the year Protegid was included in several lists of “Best World Music Album 2010”.
Carmen Souza has been touring extensively around the World since 2005 and in 2010 she plays big stages like The North Sea Jazz Festival(NL), London African Music Festival(UK) or the Leverkusener Jazztage Festival(DE). In Leverkusener, Carmen Souza, headlines a double bill with Mariza with an amazing performance later broadcasted by WDR/3SAT German TV.
Other concerts were also broadcasted around the world by major TV/Radio Channels like CBC(CA), RDP/RTP(PT), RADIO6(NL), etc, and her uniqueness is recognized by Ethnomusicologist Fernando Arenas. A closer look into Carmen Souza groundbreaking work was published in a new book called “Beyond Independence: Globalization, Postcolonialism, and the Cultures of Lusophone Africa” by Fernando Arenas released by the University of Minnesota (USA).
Carmen Souza starts 2011 with a special performance on Italian national television RAI UNO, Concerto Dell Epifania, broadcasted to millions in Italy on the Jan 6, a religious holiday and went on a long tour to sold out big venues and Festivals and mesmerize audiences and Press in Uk, Brazil, Turkey, Netherlands, Germany, Cape Verde, Latvia, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Italy, USA, Canada...
Special mention to her first Official North American Tour with 14 dates in several states receiving opening honors at San Francisco Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival and also performing at Montreal Jazz Festival. Carmen´s Monterey Jazz Festival concert was web broadcasted live, by the first time in the Festival history and transmitted directly by NPR.
Another year highlight was Carmen Souza first concerts in Cape Verde with full coverage in all national press. The concerts receive great reviews from Press and Audience and all recognized her special and unique place in the Cape Verdean music culture.
"In a single song, she delves into the warm and melodic registers of the great jazz divas, only to flee into more contemporary terrain immediately thereafter...the singer cloaks Cape Verdean music in new garb, this distancing herself from what is currently being done by other female Cape Verdean singers…another path for the evolution and renovation of morna or funaná, giving them a new breadth and life." A Semana-Cape Verde
In 2012, Carmen Souza and Theo Pascal released a special live Duo performance recorded in London " LONDON ACOUSTIC SET". This was their first live record and the naked versions of her songs from previous albums receive rave reviews from both the Jazz and World communities. 50% of the sales from this album were donated to SOS Children Villages in Cape Verde and Unicef Brazil.
Carmen Souza’s 4th Album KACHUPADA was released in France and Germany in 2013. In France, the album entered directly to the official sells Chart for World Music and went number 1 on the Amazon.frSongwriters bestselling list. KACHUPADA received a maximum note at Télérama magazine (French most important musical reviewer) and was supported by Vibrations and Sojazz magazines beside other excellent reviews and playlist on national radio RFI. Carmen Souza was also Cover of the Cap Magellan Magazine, the biggest lusophone magazine in France. In Germany, she released the album with a 13 date tour supported by Jazzthetik Magazine and the album was featured as Cd of the week in Major Radios and highlighted by National Tv.
After the goodbye of the biggest Cape Verdean singer, Cesária Évora, Carmen Souza is named has one of the new generation singers to continue the successful path of the Cape Verdean music.
Also in 2013, Carmen Souza won the title of the Best female singer and Best Morna with the album Kachupada at the Cape Verdean 'Grammys'- Cabo Verde Music Awards 2013.
After a hectic year with concerts in Major Festivals and venues all over the World, Kachupada is included in several Best Album lists and Carmen makes it to the #31 Best Vocal at the 2013 NPR Jazz Critics poll together with a position for Best New album right next to all the greats of Jazz in the World.
In 2014 Carmen Souza and Theo Pascal released their first Live CD-DVD recorded at Lagny Jazz Festival in France. 'Live at Lagny Jazz Festival' was nominated for the German Records Critics Award and Carmen Souza was again nominated for Best Female Voice at the Cabo Verde Music Awards. The cd/dvd made it to Top10 at Amazon.fr, Amazon.de & Fnac.fr. A 65 concert tour around the world, closed with a Sold out tour in Germany goes along with this new release.
2015, is time for 'Epistola' CD, headed by both Carmen Souza and Theo Pascal names. The album/concert is selected among more than 500 submissions to be included at the JAZZAHEAD2015 official showcase program, the most important jazz showcase event in Europe. The concert featuring Nathaniel Facey on Sax and Shane Forbes on Drums, two of the most innovative new generation Jazz musicians of the London scene. The Cd was Album of the week - 4 Stars - Music story, TOP 10 Best Jazz cd of the Month - Mezzo TV, Top CDs of the week at German National Radio - BR Bayern2 Kultur, etc... Receives 4STARS in both JAZZWISE and EVENING STANDARD important publications in UK. The live recording from the ´Epistola´ Jazzahead concert went on to be Broadcasted by major radios like FIP in France, Catalunya Radio in Spain and RTÉ Lyric fm in Ireland, etc. Epistola tour 2015/2016 included 76 concerts in important stages around the world in 19 different countries. Carmen Souza ends 2016 with a nomination for BEST AFRICAN JAZZ at the important African Awards AFRIMA.
The Cd Creology was released in April 2017, with Theo Pascal, and takes the duo back to the Creole music roots. The album receives amazing reviews and the public responds with several sold-out shows around the world and entries in several Best of 2017 cd lists. The tour (2017-2019) has surpassed the previous one, with more than 100 concerts booked around the world. In November 2017, Creology toured with the Blue Note Club network in Spain, Italy, and China, and Carmen Souza and Theo Pascal unique sound was included in Gerhard Kubik BOOK "Jazz Transatlantic, Volume II: Jazz Derivatives and Developments in Twentieth-Century Africa" (USA), with a dedicated 7 page chapter to his encounter with Souza and Pascal music. Gerhard Kubik is one of the best-known scholars in the field of ethnomusicology and research in music, dance, and oral traditions in Africa and the Americas.
Towards the end of 2017, Carmen Souza receives a SILVER MEDAL for Cultural Merit by the Government of Cape Verde, officially recognizing her work in the promotion of the Cape Verde name into major National and International recognition.
In Oct 2019, a new cd totally dedicated to Horace Silver, emblematic and pioneer hard bop pianist, called 'The Silver messengers' will be released. Carmen Souza channels her common Cape Verdean/Lusophone heritage to shed new light into Silver´s repertoire. The first single 'Soul Searching' went out in June 2019 to mark the 5th anniversary of his passing. In Aug the single gets nominated for the AFRIMA AWARDS 2019 (All Africa).
Undoubtedly, Carmen Souza has become a true world music force and one of Europe's most in-demand jazz singers, as someone said: "Carmen Souza does not have to decide whether her music is Jazz or 'World Music'. Her style is just as unique as convincing and her Cape Capeverdean roots as evident as her desire to create a new language under the label of 'World Jazz'.
AWARDS:
2017 Silver Medal for Cultural Merit from the Cabo Verde Government (CV)
2013 Cabo Verde Music Awards for Best Female Singer (CV)
2013 Cabo Verde Music Awards for Best Morna (CV)
NOMINATIONS:
2019 Nomination for Best African Jazz @AFRIMAAWARDS (All Africa)
2016 Nomination for Best African Jazz @AFRIMAAWARDS (All Africa)
2017 USA Grammys consideration list Best Contemporary (USA)
World Music record (USA)
2015 Cabo Verde Music Awards Nomination for
Best Female Singer (CV)
2014 German Records Critics Awards Nomination for
'Live at Lagny Jazz Festival' (DE)
2013 Cabo Verde Music Awards Nomination for
Best Kola Sanjon (CV)
2013 Cabo Verde Music Award Nomination for
Best Acoustic Album (CV)
2013 - 31ºBestjazzsingers NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll (USA)
2010 USA Grammys consideration list Best Best Contemporary
World Music record (USA)
http://carmensouza-protegid.blogspot.com/p/press.html
