Cape Verdean Carmen Souza at the Cedar

Carmen Souza| Photo by Ricardo Quintas

Another Cape Verdean songstress is in the cities. Unlike Lura, whose music I love, I have not heard of Carmen Souza. She sounds jazzy and sultry. Simply divine. 

Sample her music here.  She’ll be at the Cedar Cultural Center tomorrow. Tickets: $18 advance, $20 day of show. Doors Open: 7:00pm

I’ll be there with a flower in my hair; a perfect way to enjoy Spring!

Her bio:

Carmen Souza was born in Lisbon into a family of Cape Verdeans, and grew up bathed in a mixed language environment of Cape Verdean Creole, which her parents spoke at home, and Portuguese, perpetually immersed in the Cape Verdean way of life. After a stint in her teens singing professionally in a Lusophone Gospel Choir, and a period dabbling in musical genres as diverse as Funk, Soul, and Jazz, Carmen decided she wanted to create a new sound. Singing in her ancestors’ Creole language, and a mix of traditional African and Cape Verde rhythms like Batuku, Morna, Kola San Djon, and others, and blending in contemporary jazz influences, Carmen released her intimate debut album Ess ê nha Cabo Verde in 2005 to critical acclaim. After her international breakthrough performance at the 2005 WOMAD at Reading Festival, and performances at a string of top world music and jazz festivals, Carmen has now come out with her second album, Verdade (Truth), which highlights her sweet and versatile voice that glides effortlessly through a huge range with a jazzy sense of timing reminiscent of artists such as Rickie Lee Jones and Diana Krall, and, true to the title, with incredible authenticity in her singing.