Some of CARMEN SOUZA AND THEO PASCAL PRESS Quotes

Some of CARMEN SOUZA AND THEO PASCAL
PRESS Quotes over the years
See the clipping at www.carmensouzapresskit.blogspot.com
CD/DVD_LIVE LAGNY JAZZ FESTIVAL (2014)
5 STARS (CD of the week)"Carmen Souza is one of a kind—an original as rare
as a throat singer and as exquisite as a vocalist who combines the best of Billie
Holiday and Elis Regina—whose time has certainly come. Carmen Souza’s star
is certainly on the rise. Her performances are riveting; she has a sensuous
manner and her delicate swaying to the music seems to suggest that her body
absorbs the melodies and harmonies of her songs that are surely made deep
down in her soul."
Raul da Gama, Latin Jazz Network, USA
5 STARS "Une artiste impressionnante. Chanteuse charismatique, Carmen
Souza scatte à la manière d’Ella Fitzgerald et passe de l’aigu au grave avec une
virtuosité certaine. Tantôt suave, tantôt mélancolique dans Live at Lagny Jazz
festival, elle s’approprie avec simplicité et malice le fameux « sodade » si cher à
la Diva au pieds nus (ndlr Cesaria Evora). Elle joue de la guitare, du piano et
utilise sa voix tel un instrument.
Dans cet album, ses reprises de My favorite things - John Coltrane - et Donna
Lee – standard du jazz composé par Miles Davis – prouvent, s’il en était besoin,
tout le talent de cette artiste. Elle réussit la prouesse de s’approprier des
classiques du jazz sans les dénaturer."
Eva Dréano, AFRICAVIVRE, FR
5STARS "La chanteuse a ainsi trouvé sa voi(e)x dans un métissage réussi des
rythmes africains et capverdiens et du jazz contemporain...Piochant dans son
répertoire quelques succès, Carmen y présente aussi trois inédits, dont un
reprise sublime d’Edith Piaf « Sous le Ciel de Paris ». On retrouve alors son scat
énergique, sa voix sensuelle, généreuse et polymorphe ainsi que sa joie de vivre
communicative."
Nicolas Hillali, NOUVELLE VAGUE MAGAZINE, FR
4STARS "Dizzying articulation in Miles Davis bebop standard `Donna Lee
´...dusts down her definitive take on Horace Silver´s ´Song for my
Father´...mesmerising, self-penned chanson ´Sous le Ciel de Paris´...When she
sings what, for her, comes closest to a traditional Cape Verdean morna in the
shape of ´6 on na Tarrafal´, her voice flexes and folds into Hitherto unknown
strata of melancholy."
SONGLINES, UK
4 STARS - JAZZ MAGAZINE, FR
"This live recording and video showcases the stunning talent of one of the
greatest jazz vocalists of our time…. impressive vocal modulations and flavorful
African roots… one of the most talented and innovative vocalists in the presentday jazz and world music scene whose style and ability knows no bounds."
WORLD MUSIC CENTRAL, USA
"Souza’s vocal matches the cool wail of Parker’s sax, and the accordion mixes
world sounds with bop licks..."James Reaney, The London Free Press, CA
"Thanks to the warmth of the performance and the inordinately tight
arrangements, the entire audience fell in love with vocalist and guitarist Carmen
Souza's music. and what an extraordinary voice."Jazzwise Magazine, Peter
Quinn, Live review Revoice! Festival, Pizza express Jazz Club, London, UK
"Que peut-on découvrir dans ce Cd live qui n’ait encore été proposé dans les
albums de cette jazzwoman? C’est en cela que les artistes se distinguent. C’està-dire qu’ils possèdent pour certains, et c’est le cas de Carmen Souza, cette
capacité à vous transporter dans le temps et vivre les événements comme si
vous y étiez rien qu’en les écoutant. Au Cd, s’ajoutent deux chansons inédites,
qui symbolisent la variété stylistique de cette belle artiste aussi gentille que
performante. C’est en cela que Carmen Souza est une grande et grosse pointure
de la musique. Et qu’il n’est en rien exagéré lorsque l’on s’accorde à la comparer
aux grands noms tels que : Billie Holiday ou Nina Simone. Ecouter la sublime
interprétation de « Donna Lee »pour vous laisser convaincre si besoin était."
Jean-Jacques Dikongué, Tribune2lartiste.com, FR
"Carmen Souza, c'est une voix empreinte de chaleur, d'un vibrato unique comme
le ronronnement mais également d'une montée dans les aigus parfaitement
domptée. La chanteuse joue avec ses cordes vocales comme d'un instrument. "
SUDPLATEAU TV, FR
"un album live somptueux, étonnant, vient juste de paraître, enregistré en octobre
2013 au festival jazz de Lagny. S’y exprime sa voix douce ou provocante, qui a
séduit un public important avec l’album Kachupada en 2012, en « scattant »
comme les plus grandes ou en caressant ses notes en même temps que ses
cordes de guitare. On songe à une Ella égarée au pays de Cesaria. L’énergie
qu’elle communique est juste vivifiante…"
Jean-Yves Dana, La Croix, FR
"Le coup de coeur reviens à définitivement à Carmen Souza qui pose son Jazz
façon Cap-Vert, avec une virtuosité et une facilité déconcertante. On revisite
d’ailleurs une partie du répertoire classique du Jazz avec une magnifique version
de « Song For My Father » de Horace Silver et « My Favorite Things« ."
Live review Festival Aux Fil des voix - Paris, Ziknation, FR
"Avec un héritage africain très présent, la chanteuse cap verdienne mêle dans ce
Liveune approche jazz avec les sonorités du Cap Vert, scattant et caressant les
mélodies de sa voix sensuelle et énergisante. Passant aisément de la mélancolie
à l’allégresse, particulièrement sur scène, Carmen Souza nous fait profiter de sa
joie de vivre communicative."
Alex Dutilh, Open Jazz, France Musique Radio, FR
"Sa voix polymorphe lui permet une large pallette d'émotions et Carmen Souza
passe avec allégresse de la plus douce des saudade à un scat endiablé digne
des plus grandes chanteuse de jazz." FIP Radio, FR
TT-ON AIME BEAUCOUP "Cet oiseau des îles aux trilles revigorants cultive l’art
de la nuance, qu’elle se ressource au feelin’ de son Cap-Vert natal ou qu’elle
affûte son swing sensuel et pétillant sur des reprises de standards jazz. On
craque pour ses sessions de scat ultrasoniques." Anne Berthod, Télérama, FR
"Carmen Souza, comme Cesaria Evora, est originaire du Cap vert. A la croisée
des musiques traditionnelles et du jazz, elle chante en portugais ou en anglais,
prenant parfois une voix de dessin animé, pour chanter des scats virevoltants de
chanteuse de jazz, éblouissants de musicalité et de swing. Musique joyeuse,
chansons voyageuses, voix caressante, énergie élégante… C’est une artiste
superbe, à découvrir !"
Declic Magazine, FR
"Unique en son genre, l’univers de Carmen Souza est le fruit d’une rencontre
inouïe entre la tradition et le jazz. L’artiste puise au cœur de ses racines
capverdiennes pour revisiter la musique et sublimer ses propres compositions.
Qu’elle soit accompagnée d’une guitare ou d’un piano, sa voix reste inimitable,
capable de se lover dans des tonalités improbables, le tout rythmé
d’onomatopées colorées. Résultat : les notes chantent, les paroles virevoltent, et
le public embarque pour un voyage des plus captivants vers d’autres ailleurs."
Sonia Legendre, L'hebdo du vendredi, FR
"Avec un registre vocal assez incroyable, on fait ici un voyage entre joie et
saudade"
La croix du Nord Newspaper, FR
8/10 "In a live setting, Souza is robustly expressive, the childlike wonder of her
voice extolling the boundaries, not just pushing them. And through it all, she
never loses the notes of grace that make her one of the most expressive vocalists
on the scene today"
Jason Motz, VIVASCENE.COM, CA
"...wondrous new DVD/CD set “Live at Lagny Jazz Festival” This stunning
released is every bit as good as the strong new albums by Angelique Kidjo and
Tutu Puoane reviewed last month...Souza’s own musicianship, on keyboards,
guitar and percussion, is engaging too, but it is her singing in Cabo Verdian/
Portuguese Creole and her life affirming stage manner that steal the show. On
the evidence of this set, she is a chanteuse/ entertainer of the first order and a
seriously good jazz musician with a top-flight band.
If anyone had told this critic a month ago that amid such a fine clutch of new
releases by some of the continent’s top stars he would single out a release from a
Lisbon born Cabo Verdian as the best, he would have eaten his hat to prove
them wrong. But Carmen Souza really is that good and cannot be recommended
too highly. “Live at Lagny Jazz Festival” by is a spellbinding, exceptional release
and , on this evidence, Carmen Souza emerges as one of the most exciting
talents in contemporary African jazz. “Africa,” ..."
AFRICANJAZZ.INFO by Ben Robertson
"Listening to Carmen's soulful vibrant rhythms in concert is like being engulfed in
a sea of magnetic energy filled with softness, tranquility and thrill.
An absolute joy to see on stage, your mind doesn't drift, your eyes don't deviate
and most importantly, your smile doesn't fade when Carmen sings…
Whether she is on the piano showering her audience with a captivating rendition
of "My Favorite Things," introducing Cape Verde's most famous song "Sodade"
with what has become her signature jazzed-up version, serving an irresistible
dose of "Katchupada," or sharing the life story of her father's time at sea with
"Song for My Father," you get the sense that Carmen is a person completely at
peace with herself and the world..."
SODADE, Nuria Chantre, USA
KACHUPADA (2012-2013)
FFFF "Irresistible" Télérama, FR
5 /5 "Extraordinarily talented vocalist...Kachupada is certainly one of the rarest
kinds of musical gems to have come to light in the year 2012."
Raul da Gama, World Music Report/Latin Jazz Network, USA
4/5 " With Verdade, her 2010 release, Carmen Souza introduced herself to the
world as a kind of Cape Verdean Diana Krall. On Kachupada she is transformed
into Cape Verdean Esperanza Spalding...Kachupada is a brave, extraordinarily
original and at times challenging album. It is profoundly musical, deepens on
every listen and deserves to make Souza a far more familiar name." Alex
Robinson, SONGLINES, UK
4 /5 " A la manière d’une Ella Fitzgerald du Cap-Vert, Carmen Souza chante la
saudade avec sensualité et fraîcheur" Les Inrockuptibles, FR
4 /5 "Elle est inclassable....C’est frais, épicé, profond, sympathique au possible.
Ne la manquez pas quand elle passera par chez vous" Michel Bedin, FR
4 /5 "irresistible musical creed...Kapuchada forms a kaleidoscope of a great
originality. It is undoubtedly the work of a musical strong personality and one of
best in world music this year." Loïc Picaud, MUSIC STORY, FR
4 /6 "Souzas jazz is totally dependent on local conditions, rhythms, tempos and
her rather special voice." LARS LOVÉN, SvD, SE
8/10 "Melancholy, and drizzled with sparkling humor, sometimes sprinkled with
depth and soulful timbre Souza shows here once again why she is, after the
unforgotten Cesaria Evora, the undisputed number one in the Cape Verdean
music scene, especially on the international stage." Michael Arens, SOUL
TRAIN MAGAZINE, DE
"original-sounding album...Souza’s voice is striking, strong but flexible, with an
attractive rasp and the odd sigh or cry emphasising the songs’ sentiments;
overall, this is a highly unusual mix of Cape Verdean rhythms, jazz and soul that
should see her audience widen way beyond the WOMAD Festival
faithful..."LONDON JAZZ, UK
"imaginez une lointaine cousine d’e Eartha Kitt ou de Carmen McRae, chantant
avec un swing et une maîtrise rythmique quasi insolents, dans sa langue
maternelle, en portugais ou en anglais, des thèmes originaux inspirés du folklore
de son île ou des standards (le Donna Lee de Miles Davis ou encore le My
favorite things diffusé hier) et vous aurez une idée du programme."Stanley Pean,
Radio Canada, CA
“Sur l'album Kachupada, le feeling de son Cap-Vert natal est bien là, notamment
dans des reprises de vieux standards du cru. Mais ses aériennes trilles aiguës et
ses scats jazzy ultratoniques, très sensuels, aussi, évoquent davantage Ella
Fitgerald ou Diana Krall."
Anne Berthod, Telerama, FR
"Carmen Souza enchante avec un album d'entrechats vocaux fantasques." Les
Inrocks, FR
"Carmen Souza. "KACHUPADA", c'est le reflet de notre humanité, c'est-à-dire
riche et belle de sa diversité. L'on ne peut qu'être emballé par cette précieuse
pépite que nous avons entre les mains." tribune2lartiste.com, FR
"Carmen est devenue en quelques années une référence de la musique
capverdienne. « Kachupa » fleure bon les sonorités et les épices de cet archipel,
et nous envoûte de son univers musical inimitable. Ce sont ses sonorités
capverdiennes que Carmen mêle efficacement avec du jazz le tout saupoudré de
sa voix cares- sante et légèrement espiègle, qui réinterprète des standards
américains et capverdiens. Cet opus est plein de joie et de légèreté." Kadha
Cissoko - Nouvelle Vague, FR
"Imprégnée de culture jazzy et des musiques de ses racines, Carmen Souza
invente un rythme intime, où l’on retrouve les cadences de la morna, la
délicatesse du fado, le latin jazz, les inspirations africaines comme le sodade
portugais. Une voix d’alto au grain caressant, sans pathos, une énergie
simplement élégante." V. Fara, La Terrasse, FR
"Sublime Jazz voice from Cape Verde" FM Plus radio, FR
"Une pincée de Billie Holiday, un soupçon de Nina Simone, des phrasés à la Ella
et un côté rebelle à la Mina Agossi...un style unique et original" JAZZ MAG, FR
"Luxury voices in world music room...Virtuoso arrangements of the Cape Verde
Islands..."
Albert Hosp, [email protected]
"Enchanting vocal talent...Her vocal style sounds like a mixture of highly virtuoso
scat singing and sonorous beatboxing...Carmen Souza is an exceptional vocal
talent that easily reconciles individuality, spontaneity and emotionality..." SZ
Fürstenfeldbruck, DE
"Entre la sodade des mélodies capverdiennes et l'acrobatie d'un scat espiègle
héritée d'Ella Fitzgearld, Carmen Souza est l'artisane d'une fusion jazz et world
qui évite les lassants clichés éculés du genre...Impeccable quatrième
album" QOBUZ, FR
"Carmen Souza gave an absolutely remarkable performance, skilfully leading
traditional music to modern day world music"General-Anzeiger, DE
"The Cape-verdean singer transcends the traditional music of her country"
VIBRATIONS MAGAZINE, FR
"La voce di Carmen Souza è belleza, libertà, leggerezza...In alcuni brani le
acrobazie vocali
della Souza si fanno vertiginose, sembrano improvvisazioni in puro jazz...È uma
donna solare, una cantante di talento, una performer divertente."
Laura Putti, LA REPUBBLICA, ITALY
"Carmen Souza, con la sua voce intrigante, insaporisce il jazz di sonorità
capoverdiane, My Favourite Things e Donna Lee acquistano aromi
esotici."L'Unità, ITALY
"Carmen Souza London-based Carmen Souza's voice is quite elastic as it
weaves around in elegant swirls between a flurry of irresistible scat topped off
with a Nina Simone warble/vibrato. Her guitar and piano work is rather
understated as it gives way to her voice, but is no less jaw-dropping." (FD)
Rochester City Newspaper, USA
9/10"Smoothly sauntering through the world jazz market of musical manifestation,
Carmen Souza has honed a unique approach by taking her Cape Verdean Creole
roots and infuses them with infectious traditional African music, Brazillian
rhythms, and a plethora of minute nuances that make this release shine and
sparkle." Maximum Ink, USA
Top 10 Best concerts to see in NY "The Lisbon-born Cape Verdean singer
sounds crazy like a Ross (Annie) or a Mitchell (Joni) in the best possible sense
on her effervescent new Kachupada, a dazzling blend of highwire jazz
improvisation, French accordionism, African roots music, and smart, sublime
kookiness. It's a foaming polyrhythmic puddle of unceasing acoustic amazement
from top to bottom and you probably shouldn't miss her."NY The Village Voice,
USA
7/10"the uniqueness of Souza's vocals leaves the biggest impression. Mixed
rather dry, relying very little on effects, harmonies or accompanied vocals,
Souza's almost vaudeville-like inflections sit atop the other instruments like an
intricate guitar solo."
Michael J. Warren, Exclaim, Canada
"Carmen Souza and Theo Pas’cal team up again on this record and the results
are sensational.
Souza’s voice is fun and gritty at the same time. Blessed with a terrific low and
high register, Souza teases listeners with her playful voice, jumping octaves with
ease. One of her finest characteristics is her ability to add texture to anything she
sings....Souza manages to captivate with her passionate and unpredictable vocal
melodies."
Splinters & Candy Radio show, WVKR.org, USA
"Souza’s voice floats and darts about the melodies in a way that’s charmingly
beguiling. She can scat or do anything and it simply sounds like the most
gorgeous thing you’ll hear in your life." Joy of Violent movement, USA
"Most striking of all is Souza’s voice itself. Alternately chirpy and grave, it’s an
exceptional tool that she wields with an instrumentalist’s sensibility — she’s also
a guitar and piano player — executing nimble turns and swoops with grace and
acrobatic control.
For over a decade, Souza has forged her own idiosyncratic hybrid of jazz and
Cape Verdean styles such as morna, coladeira, and batuque — themselves
reflections of the archipelago’s exceptionally mixed European and African
past." Boston Globe, USA
"Carmen Souza is the Cape Verdean Norah Jones. (Get with it, Beeb!) With four
albums to her credit, Lisbon-born and London-based Souza is fast-becoming a
stellar recording artist, an in-demand live performer, a pinnacle of the
international music scene and a class act brimming with distinct talent...Souza
encompasses a talent that belies geography, linguistics, gender, and
ethnomusicology. Or as Village Voice scribe Richard Gehr says: Souza’s live
performance is “a foaming polyrhythmic puddle of unceasing acoustic
amazement.” A gifted pianist and guitarist, Souza is at her commanding best
when she opens her mouth to sing, unleashing a soul of immense beauty and
power...Souza is no mere follower of Cape Verdean legend Cesária Évora, the
Queen of Morna, but a spiritual descendent who evokes Évora and furthers the
jazz tradition from Ella Fitzgerald to Nikki Yanofsky." Jason Motz,
vivoscene.com
"The mix of styles which have influenced Carmen is intriguing on its own, and
means that one can never totally know what to expect - one minute she could be
singing a mellow bossa, and the next singing "Donna Lee"...But what especially
intrigues me about Carmen Souza is the way she uses her voice...Her technique
is also impressive...She can move around as nimbly as a great
instrumentalist." Josh Grossman, torontojazz.com
"Carmen Souza’s musical character really stands out. While many female jazz
vocalists are recording standards and new material with smooth jazzy
arrangements, Carmen’s style is much creative and attractive...Kachupada is a
splendid world music-rooted jazz album by one of the most remarkable
performers in the current jazz scene."
WORLD MUSIC CENTRAL, USA
Vancouver Jazz Festival Live review" She’s a marvel. So much so that we predict
one day music writers and fans will be referring to the achievements of new
generations of vocal jazz prodigies as “Souzean”. "VIVASCENE.COM, CANADA
Vancouver Jazz Festival live review" Earlier Saturday, another singer injected
summer sunshine into the twilight-lit Performance Works. Portugal-born Carmen
Souza made the room feel like Cape Verde...Her voice shouted and purred,
reaching down to pluck the low notes, then soaring to walk a high tightrope. And,
something all performers should be conscious of, she appeared to thoroughly
enjoy her time on stage.
Vancouver Sun, Canada
Ottawa Jazz Festival live review"Hearing Souza’s voice live was a real pleasure
as her unique vocals ranging from soprano to alto demonstrate an impressive
flexibility that switches back and forth between half-scat and half glissando. A true
class act, Carmen Souza brought her African-Portuguese diaspora heritage to
Ottawa and made the sun shine a little brighter around the OLG Stage."
Eventful Capital, Canada
Toronto Jazz Festival Live review: "Souza is an accomplished musician and
singer who brings a jazz sensibility to all she does. Her big range, solid pitch and
vocal sure-footedness count her among the finest singers anywhere, but she
wasn’t all about vocal gymnastics. In fact, some of the most satisfying moments
for me as a listener came when her drummer, switched from kit to cajon (a box
drum played with the hands) the bass player (her long-time collaborator Theo
Pascal) picked up the double bass and Souza sat down at the piano. Then we
experienced the rich warmth of her voice and soul as she told us stories from her
home." Cathy Riches, Toronto Jazz Fest, USA
Rochester Jazz Festival Live review: "Authentic music. It’s what jazz is. It’s this
connection these musicians make when they are so good at their craft that they
are released from reality and invite us to come along. It’s what happens when you
listen to jazz musicians like Bob James, David Sanborn, Steve Gadd, and
Carmen Souza. It was a truly enjoyable night of jazz."
Paloma Capanna, Rochester City Newspaper, USA
Rochester Jazz Festival live review: "Souza was a delight. She sings in a
distinctive style that worked up and down the scale from gutteral lows to falsetto
highs (sometimes all in the same phrase). She had an easy banter with the
audience, who was just eating her up.” Greg Bell, Jazzrochester.com, USA
Saratoga Jazz Festival live review; "...sunny sway and sublime scatting of Cape
Verde vocalist Carmen Souza…” Greg Haymes, Times Union, USA
Montreal Jazz Festival live mention: " ...fantastic singer-guitarist from Cape Verde
named Carmen Souza who channeled her inner Billie Holiday, as if Billie were
from Africa, then showed off her love of jazz in general, African music specifically
and funk as well, doing a cool, funky version of Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee.”
Russ Davie, Jazz times Magazine, USA
"Carmen Souza chante avec cette légère exubérance sensuelle qui donne à
chacune de ses interprétations des airs de liberté. Elle semble souvent jouer
comme dans une pièce de théâtre chantée, ou à tout le moins avec la
spontanéité de celle qui se retrouve devant les siens. Il s’en dégage parfois une
sorte de scat enfantin qui confère étrangement beaucoup de contemporanéité,
pendant que la musique, si entraînante soit-elle, se déglingue, se déformate,
volontairement. Le swing est efficace et les rythmes, souvent sautillants, en partie
en provenance du Cap-Vert natal de ses parents, mais parfois très jazz. Elle en
reprend à sa façon quelques classiques, dont Donna Lee et My Favorite Things.
Sinon, c’est parfois minimaliste, avec des percussions rapides, ou haletant en
dessous d’une lente mélodie." Le Devoir, CA
"Tot seguit, al teatre de L'Atlàntida, la cantant portuguesa originària de Cap Verd
Carmen Souza va irrompre com una gran força de la natura, descalça com
Cesária Évora –de la qual va cantar Sodade– i acompanyada per tres músics
notables, en un ampli ventall de registres, des de la clàssica My favorite things
fins a exuberants còctels rítmics. Gran veu." Live review@Mercat de Musica
viva de vic_Xavier Castillón, El Punt Avui, ES
“Tot i així, mentre hi érem vam tenir temps suficient per a adonar-nos de que
estàvem davant de la finezza feta persona. Cantant portuguesa amb orígens a
l’arxipèlag de Cap Verd, enriqueix la melancolia lusitana amb ritmes tribals
africans. El resultat, previsible per raons d’història de la música afroamericana,
és un pop ètnic perfumat d’aires caribenys que captiven i desarmen. Un altre
animal escènic a tenir en compte."
Live review@Mercat de Musica viva de vic_
Imma Casanelas, Jazzdeprima, ES
CARMEN SOUZA DUO feat Theo Pas'cal
"London Acoustic set" (2011/2012):
4 STARS “Sensitive and intimate, but also very positive and overwhelming, this
way of singing is an independent creative path. Sometimes in hard-driving, other
times sweating in low heat, who doesn’t know her goes from surprise to ecstasy,
‘Sodade’ brushes dangerously the outrage of leaving other titles without
reference.”
A.L.N._JORNAL EXPRESSO_PT
4 STARS - JAZZISM - NL
"a singer/songwriter that has blossomed into a confident and sparkling performer,
‘finding’ her voice and glowing in its magnificent powers...In this CD, Carmen
glides effortlessly across a range of languages and octaves, proving without a
doubt that she is indeed a woman of the world!" DJ RITU_SOAS Radio_UK
"Highly consistent, London Acoustic Set is far more than merely compelling - it is
utterly mesmerising and bewitching. You will find it very hard not to play this
exquisite album over and over. It is absolutely gorgeous! Its soulful charm and
beauty are just irresistible. Souza and Pas'cal are an invaluable addition to the
British scene, going by this album."RAINLORE'S WORLD OF MUSIC_UK
“…Has an unstoppable tone that mixes a Cape Verdean “accent” with other
sounds and chords from World Music. With Theo Pas’cal-“mentor, friend,
producer and fellow traveler”-has been building a unique style…after the
deceased Orlando Pantera, she is the musical expression of modernity in the
Cape Verdean roots.
It will go far, is already on the way.”A.L.N_ JORNAL EXPRESSO_PT
“Carmen Souza is difficult to categorize, but easy to like….in recent years she
created her own sound: Cape Verdean roots, but riddled with various inflections
of jazz and African music.”
João Bonifácio_JORNAL PUBLICO_PT
“Afro-cuban music, jazz, morna and references born of decades of rhythmic
fusions are swallowed, distended and recycled in the development of an ecstatic
authorial profile. Carmen and Theo present themselves in a raw, undisturbed,
and unbreakable demonstration that regardless of the radicalism of their
proposal, the lush inner beauty and exuberant objectivity is never
compromised!”MBARI_PT
“Fascinating…the pieces are just skin and bones, stripped back to it’s
essence”FOLKER_DE
“Stunning Album…”Ton Maas_CONCERTZENDER_NL
“Work of incredible intensity…wonderful collection of original compositions and
covers…A feast for the senses!”
MELODIVA_DE
“Songs with a very special energy and power, with Carmen Souza voice shining
in all colours...an album which is not only a anniversary album but an album of
Folk music and beautiful melodies, as well as a compilation of their music"
DIGITALE JAZZ-ZEITUNG_DE
“The duo electrifies the soundwaves…favorite for world jazz, Cape Verde,
Portuguese, and improvisational music fans."
INSIDE WORLD MUSIC_UK
"A Live recording that demonstrates why Cape Verdean Carmen Souza has
earned a reputation as one of the most exciting talents emerging in the field of
"World Music" in recent years…Improvisations of high artistic value are created
around the personal voice of the singer, and confirm that 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 Verdean roots as evident as her desire to
create a new language under the label of "world jazz" ZONA DE COMPRAS_SP
PROTEGID PRESS REVIEWS (2010):
NOMINATED FOR THE GERMAN RECORDS CRITIC’S AWARD (2010)
WORLD MUSIC CHARTS EUROPE –WMCE (APRIL 10)
WORLD MUSIC CHARTS EUROPE – WMCE (AUGUST 10)
GRAMMIES PRE-NOMINATION FOR BEST CONTEMPORARY WORLD
MUSIC ALBUM (2010)
"Carmen Souza's vivacious "Protegid" opens a window to another world entirely,
cranking up the tempo, slicing up the syncopated rhythm to resemble Thelonious
Monk's "Evidence" and allowing her to power her voice with the assured intuition
and inventiveness of a jazz singer." SONG OF THE DAY - NPR - USA
"Singing in a colourful, eclectic Portuguese-based Creole, Souza illuminates,
stretches, and snaps back the elastic connections between Latin, African and
Arabic music, American jazz and the music of Cape Verde. Souza conclusively
proves that the "world music" evolution/revolution has transformed modern vocal
as well as instrumental music." ALL ABOUT JAZZ-USA
"The whole disc is 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." WORLD MUSIC CENTRAL-USA
4 STARS "Sometimes this Cape Verdean singer's sound is pure Billie Holiday,
sometimes she gives the impression of Eartha Kitt on speed, sometimes her
vocal pyrotechnics evoke a young Cleo Laine... THE SCOTSMAN-UK
4 STARS "Suprising is her version of Horace's Silvers 'Song for my father' Piano
player Idiabonya lets the influence of Chucho Valdes play here and together with
Carmen and bass player Theo Pas'cal they create a gripping version of Cape
Verdian Afro Jazz fusion." JAZZ MAGAZINE-NL
4 STARS "With songs that travel freely between Cape Verde, jazz and other
worlds, Carmen Souza is the most original voices of the new Cape Verdean
music...Incredible original voice...surprising version of "Sodade"... chilling "Mara
Marga" TIME OUT LISBON-PT
4 STARS "It's tempting to compare any female Cape Verdean singer to the
godmother of the island's indigenous morna music, Cesaria Evora, but that would
be unfair to a vocalist as gifted, and as singular, as Carmen Souza...Souza's
voice is a remarkably lithe instrument, sensual, percussive, soulful, and capable
of exploring multiple moods within a given line of a given track." ALL MUSIC
GUIDE-USA4STARS
"Carmen surprises us with an excellent record that has African flavor-based
morna, though also invest in the globalization of her music." WORLD MUSIC
MAGAZINE-SP
5 STARS “...genuine music-making...” CULTURE CAPITAL-UK
4 STARS- PARIS MOVE&BLUES MAGAZINE-FR
4 STARS- JAZZTHETIK-DE
4 STARS- ATHENS VOICE-GR
"The poetic voice is as original as the musical one...The lyrics this Cape Verdean
singer has written have a vivid, passionate energy;Backed with rippling
accompaniments from a band blending Afro-Latin and contemporary jazz effects,
she beats up a very unusual storm. Just one song – "Sodade" – plugs her into the
grand Cape Verdean tradition, but shows how far she has moved from its original
exponent, Cesaria Evora." THE INDEPENDENT-UK
"Carmen Souza may share a Creole tongue with her Cape Verdean-rooted
contemporaries, but that's where the comparisons end. Her voice is singular,
mercurial and slightly androgynous. It has a kind of dawn-to-dusk range that
approximates several performers simultaneously, bearing more relation to Billie
Holiday or even Tom Zé than to Mayra Andrade or Sara Tavares." SONGLINESUK
"This album is an excellent brain-food." JAZZTHING-DE
"Some adventurous and lively Cape Verdean action - Omar Sosa lends a hand
but Carmen Souza can stand upon her own music feet, no question." WORLD
MUSIC CHARTS EUROPE
"Protegid, the new album, is definitely a jazz album, and also definitely a Cape
Verdean album...Carmen’s music reminds me of music back in the seventies,
simultaneously solid and experimental, both inspiration and entertaining,
elegantly serious and dancingly enjoyable..." BREATH OF LIFE-USA
"Imagine if Billie Holiday sang in Creole and revisited her African roots then you
would be half way to describing the voice of Cape Verdean Carmen Souza. The
globetrotting musician possesses one of the most out-of-this-world voices to
come along in a long time.On her album Protegid Carmen gives her vocals a tour
of the African Diaspora, leaping back and forth between Cape Verdean music
and American jazz. She sings in half-scat and half glissando uttering phrases in
alto and then trilling in the soprano with her heavy vibrato voice fluttering like
nervous birds. I recall Zap Mama more than I do Cesaria Evora, the Queen of
Cape Verdean song." by Patricia Herlevi at WHOLE MUSIC EXP.-USA
"With the purr of the late Eartha Kitt, Carmen Souza pours the heart into her
music, with the same effect...sensitive , intimate and vivaciuos all the things found
in Souza's music."BOSTON POST-GAZETTE- USA
"Sophisticated and elegant, with a voice to match, Souza puts American jazz to
the music of the Cape Verde Islands."THE STAR-CA
MARK OF EXCELLENCE "Souza croons and purrs her way through stunning
track after stunning track. Driving hard on the lively "Tentê Midj," only to evoke
aching despair on "Sodade," Souza's voice is the embodiment of
emotion."EXCLAIM-CA
"Her voice, intuitive and powerful as the best jazz singers, is elegant even when
she hits the limits of her personal proposal. [Carmen Souza is] one of those
artists that with each new album makes an extensive exercise of her
independence."SONS DE LA MEDITERRANIA MAGAZINE-SP
“espectacular, flexible y brillante voz” RITMOS DEL MUNDO-SP
“This woman should go, by her own right, to the podium of the great female
voices from Africa”
B!RITMOS-SP
"Carmen Souza is certainly one of the most interesting voices of the new
generation of so-called World Music...World Music with Class" MESCALINA- IT
"Carmen Souza, c'est une pincée de Billie Holiday, un soupçon de Nina Simone
et un côté rebelle à la Mina Agossi. Énergisante!" JAZZFRISON-FR
“Carmen souza : prends garde à toi, Cesaria
Voici une découverte renversante ! Évidemment, on est tenté de citer Sara
Tavares et Maria João, ses deux consœurs lisbonnaises, pour délimiter le terrain
de jeu de Carmen Souza, entre jazz et musiques du monde. Mais cette artiste
surprenante s’est forgé un langage éclaté qui lui est propre et elle n’accepte
visiblement aucun carcan.
Orchestrations organiques, syncopes à gogo, acrobaties vocales, rythmiques
contagieuses, cette musique libre s’ouvre sur l’avenir. Carmen écrit elle-même
les textes créoles, inventifs, syncopés, et Theo Pascal, son bassiste, prend en
charge la création musicale. Ils saluent au passage deux légendes dont les îles
du Cap- Vert sont très fières : Horace Silver, avec « Song for My Father », et
Cesaria Evora, avec une version de « Sodade » qui va vous faire effacer l’original
de votre iPod. Étonnant.” L'ACTUALITE-CA
"Lisbon-born singer-songwriter Carmen Souza was raised in the Cape Verdean
tradition and sings in Creole; on her latest (excellent) album, Protegid, she wraps
her husky pipes around deliciously slinky, jazzy numbers and sprightly Afro beats
with equal ease."TIME OUT NEW YORK-USA
"Cape Verde meets Afro-Latin meets contemporary jazz. That spicy mix is filtered
through a singular voice and style that some have compared to Billie Holiday,
others to Nina Simone. I hope she sings Horace Silver's "Song for My
Father." NPR, USA
"Carmen Souza ignites amazing musical fireworks with her voice."
Hessischer Rundfunk, DE
"Carmen Souza is one of those amazing talents that takes you by surprise - in a
number of ways. Born in Portugal to Cape Verdeans, she is exquisite. When she
speaks and sings, you can hear the echos of her Creole roots. The bravery of
her performances harkens back to a time that some of us don't remember - but
others do - she has been compared to those who have inspired her: Ella, Nina,
Billie. Then, she draws from her strong Gospel background. Mix the spiritual
"mission" that she feels, combine that with traditional Cape Verde and
contemporary Jazz - and a love for Horace Silver - well, you might just have The
Queen of Hybrid on your hands!"TRISH HENNESSY, HYBRID JAZZ , USA
"Carmen Souza, cantante y compositora portuguesa de ascendencia
caboverdiana. Su voz es impresionante, se mueve entre la potencia cercana al
grito desgarrador y la suavidad más intimista. Su música está basada en las
melodías de las islas que impregnaron su cultura. Su estilo podría calificarse
como "etnojazz" al ser obvias las influencias africanas en su estilo y estructurarlo
al máximo nivel armónico del jazz más avanzado." ArturoDiazF
VERDADE PRESS REVIEWS(2008/2009):
5 STARS “Carmen Souza is a promise!"JAZZ MAGAZINE, NL
4 STARS “...Verdade (Truth) looks to deserve its name in each word and each
note, mixing traditional rhythms of the archipelago with multiple influences, mainly
from Jazz.” EXPRESSO, PT
4 STARS “Superb second album...All sung with a sensuous richness and
wrapped up in luscious sound steeped in the melodic jazz of Ella or Hancock,
Jarret or Zawinul. Blissful stuff.” ROCK N REEL MAGAZINE, UK
"Carmen Souza’s rich voice soothes as much as it swings.”TIME OUT
CHICAGO, USA
“For decades, the music of Cape Verde was identified with a single talent, the
penetrating vocalist Cesária Évora. But in recent years, this group of islands off
the west coast of Senegal in Africa has begun exporting more high-quality
artists...Now add 27-year-old Carmen Souza — born in Lisbon to Cape Verdean
parents — to the list...Souza has a charismatic, playful streak, earthier and less
arty but otherwise not unlike Marie Daulne of Zap Mama.” MINNPOST, USA
“...Incredible authenticity...” INSIDE WORLD MUSIC, USA
"Despite being less known than Mayra Andrade, Lura and Sara Tavares, a Cape
Verdean born in Lisbon (and is so natural to say this) Carmen Souza deserves, in
its own right, to integrate the leading group of the best new singers from Cape
Verde." António Pires, TIME OUT LISBON, PT
“Carmen Souza’s music is not of the Lura or Sara Tavares variety really; rather,
it’s an artful blend of traditional Cape Verdean rhythms with contemporary jazz
and an intimate acoustic element.” CAIPIRINHA LOUNGE, PT
"...her (Carmen Souza) strength lies mainly in her incredible possessed,
swinging, colourful voice. What a talent!" VRIJE GELUIDEN, NL
“...Her Cape Verde tradition is as soft and sensitive as a Laura Nyro ballad-it’s a
smoky, dive bar Cape Verde of subtle progressions and syncopations, of Rickie
Lee Jones harmonies and Diana Krall Crooning...”SONGLINES, UK
"Cultured singer who puts her own jazz spin on the music of her ancestral home,
Cape Verde."THE TIMES, UK
“...distinctive fusion of classic, lilting Cape Verdean musical forms and Jazz."THE
INDEPENDENT, UK
"Smouldering Cape Verdean afrobeat-tinged folk-jazz." Critic’s
choice/Recomended, TIME OUT LONDON,UK
“What makes Carmen Souza sound unique is her compositions and her «Soul»
Diva voice, that creates a kind of Contemporary Jazz based on the warmth and
energy of the African melody."ÁFRICA TODAY MAGAZINE, PT
“...voice of diva of jazz - Full, deep, adaptable to any note, Low or high” A
SEMANA, CAPE VERDE
CONCERT REVIEWS:
5 STARS “Cape Verdean songstress Carmen Souza has it all: excellent
repertoire, a nimble and versatile voice that glides effortlessly through a huge
range of registers and a totally relaxed stage presence. Moreover, she swings
like hell...”BIMHUIS Live Review-De Volkskrant, NL
“Last weekend Carmen Souza put on a spellbinding performance ... gliding
between breathy ballads, sexy funana rhythms from her ancestral Cape Verde,
and a beautiful cover of Horace Silver’s "Song From My Father."CEDAR
CENTER Live Review, Minnpost, Minneapolis, USA
Three Countries, Four Jazz Festivals by Laura Byrne Paquet
for DREAMSCAPES MAGAZINE, CA “...I had similar luck recently on the world
Music front, when I settled under the tent one afternoon to hear Afro-beat Jazz
singer Carmen Souza. Now, Ottawa is not the sort of place where people
spontaneously dance in public. (I live there, so I feel I Have the right to give my
adopted hometown a gentle jibe.) So the fact that Souza managed to get many
people On their feet in broad daylight is nothing short of a miraculous and she did
it all with her voice, personality and Sheer force of will. It was one of the most
memorable shows I’ve experienced at any Jazz Festival.”
“Carmen Souza, ou le Jazz Folk cap-verdien Carmen Souza est une jeune artiste
née au Portugal et ayant grandi au Portugal tout en préservant ses racines capverdiennes. Carmen est une artiste complete, interprete s’exprimant en portugais,
pianiste et guitariste à la fois. Elle était accompagnée sur scène par son bassiste
acoustique, batteur jazzy et pianiste. L’artiste a envouté l’assistance de rythmes
oscillant entre jazz, folk et sons africains, tantôt teintés de rythmes joyeux funana
et tantôt de rythmes mélancoliques morna. Une fusion exquise de musique capverdienne et d’influences contemporaines. Drapée dans une chatoyante robe en
soie, c’est tout en sensualité que Carmen Souza a accompagné le public dans
son univers très jazzy, bercé par une voix chaude et maitrisée à la perfection,
parfois rauque et puissante et parfois fluette et susurrée. L’aisance du passage
des tessitures aigues à graves était le moins déconcertante. Le public présent a
vite integer sa place dans cette ambiance intimiste où Carmen Souza, à portée
de main, n’a pas hésité et convié l’assistance à chanter en choeur. Le public n’a
d’ailleurs pas été insensible au charme certain de Carmen Souza, dont la
présense et la sensualité ont occupé tout l’espace sur scène. II est surprenant
que cette artiste au talent et à la maturité si palpable ne soit pas déjà propulsée
au rang dês stars de ce monde, à l’image de Cesaria Evora, dont Carmen a fait
une reprise jazzy époustouflante Sodade, encore plus abouti et plus poignante
que la version originale. Si vous avez raté ce concert mémorable, rende-vous sur
le site de l'artiste, afin de découvrir son univers musical et d'écouter quelques
morceaux choisis.” Concert review (Alger, 29 April, 2008) by B.B at
Lekra3.com
“Elle chante, puis elle parle. Sa voix enraillée se tord vers les aigus puis se
radoucit vers des sons plus graves. Elle s’accompagne au piano, puis à la
guitare. Lorsqu’elle n’a plus d’instrument, elle danse, souris et vit son concert
avec grâce et volupté. Plus qu’une jolie musicienne en boubou bleu, Carmen
Souza est une magicienne qui peut transcender un public à elle seule...A l’arrivée
de son titre Afri Ka, le public se rut sur la piste de danse. Quelle ambiance ! Entre
ceux qui dansent, ceux qui tapent des mains et ceux qui reprennent en cœur le
refrain, on se serait presque cru en vacances au Cap Vert. Carmen Souza
enchante et impressionne : pendant que le public reprend les paroles en cœur,
elle interprète un duel d’arpège à la guitare avec Theo Pas’cal. Puis place à la
mélancolie très axée jazzy avec son titre Sodad. Pour finir, elle interprète de
nouveau Afri Ka. Elle s’adresse au public: « If you remember the words, come on
»! Le public chante. Elle reprend : « Stand up people ! Come on » ! Le public se
lève. Elle a manifestement des pouvoirs divins !." LES ZINDERUCTIBLES, FR
Live Review, Concert au Satellit Café (FR)
by Dominique Boulay , Paris Move
"L’occasion, pour nous, de vous parler du Café, du lieu, tout d’abord, qui est très
accueillant, chaleureux et où l’on apprécie s’installer confortablement pour
écouter des musiques qui voyagent et qui viennent de partout, en buvant des
verres aux saveurs venues d’ailleurs. Les rythmes issus de tous les coins du
monde sont chose normale puisque le lieu s’autoproclame judicieusement
‘Ambassadeur parisien des musiques du monde’.
C’est dans le cadre très convivial du 9ème Festival des Femmes que le lieu reçoit
donc, ce soir, la jeune et jolie Carmen Souza. Née au Portugal en 1981, la
talentueuse et ravissante artiste est tout naturellement imprégnée des rythmes et
des musiques venues de l’ile d’où ses parents sont issus, le Cap Vert, et du
continent africain tout proche.
Il ne lui faudra que deux sets pour hypnotiser, captiver, emballer, ensorceler et
posséder le public. Compositeur, auteur, guitariste et pianiste, Carmen Souza
possède également une voix que l’on peut qualifier d’instrument supplémentaire
tant la tessiture de celle-ci lui permet de changer de hauteur et d’amplitude au
gré de son inspiration et de son écriture musicale. Tantôt dans les aigus, tantôt
dans les graves, sa voix nous captive et sait se fondre dans les sonorités jouées
par son combo. Dado Pasqualini, à la basse et à la double basse acoustique,
Victor Zamora aux percussions et à la batterie ainsi que Tiago Santos au piano
nous offrent, en effet, un merveilleux cocktail sonore dans lequel on distinguera
rythmes joyeux, ‘funana’, et mélodies plus mélancoliques, ‘morna’. Un jazz-folk
d’inspiration africaine pour ce qui est des lignes musicales, ou un folk jazzy en ce
qui concerne certaines autres compositions et qui nous font presque penser au
Brésil.
Dans un souci de communication permanente avec son public, Carmen Souza
nous explique la genèse des morceaux et des chansons, cherchant à toujours
faire participer le public en lui faisant reprendre le refrain de certaines chansons.
Elle a enregistré trois albums à ce jour : ‘Ess ênha Cabo Verde’ en 2005,
‘Verdade’ en 2008 et le tout dernier, ‘Protegid’, cette année
Pour ceux qui ne connaissait que Cesaria Evora comme chanteuse venant de
cette île lointaine, voilà l’occasion de réparer cette carence et, croyez-moi, vous
serez surpris par l’immense talent de cette artiste dont on n’a pas fini d’entendre
parler. Sa formidable reprise de ‘Sodade’ est fut une preuve supplémentaire et je
ne peux que vous recommander d’aller écouter son dernier opus, superbe, tout
simplement!"
"Associated with names like Billie Holliday, Ella Fritzgerald and Nina Simone,
Carmen Souza seems to know right where she wants to go, drinking in their
influences while at the same time occupying her own space. And her chameleonlike voice allows her to do this.
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.
The visibility she has garnered internationally, along with the quality and
coherence demonstrated in her first three albums, seems to have to do with this –
with her finding of another path for the evolution and renovation of morna or
funaná, giving them a new breadth and life.
After more than an hour of music came the standing ovation, the obligatory
encore and the continuation of the voyage into the aromas of Cape Verde,
surrounded by a whirlwind of fusions."A Semana, Cape Verde
"Carmen Souza, The Jazz Krioula
Carmen Souza lived up to her reputation and won the audience in what was the
first time on stage in the land of her origins....was a memorable night in the
National Assembly..." SAPO.CV, Cape Verde
Carmen Souza and her band gave a valiant performance by making a musical
journey to the different styles..."
"Singer/songwriter/guitarist Carmen Souza also stirred up a distinctive savory
mixture of musical flavors. ..Souza, born in Portugal to parents from Cape Verde,
sang her own songs in a voice that purred, snarled, keened and glided over wide
intervals. Her sensual rhythms came from Cape Verdean forms like
the batuke and the morna. Your mind did not know these rhythms but your body
did. It was impossible not to move to “Africa.” Souza got a Congress Hall full of
Latvians twitching in their seats and singing in Creole." RIGAS RITMI 2011 Live
Review-Thomas Conrad, JAZZ TIMES, USA
"Carmen Souza captured the audience with the first gig in Finland...Souza vocal
expression is something absolutely original...fascinating!" Pirkko KotirintaHELSINGIN SANOMAT-FL
"unforgettable night... the performance received a standing ovation" - BURSA
HABERLER-TR
"The audience was enchanted by the musical richness of Carmen Souza and her
vocal resources, receiving a stand up ovation with right to an encore" DALWTON MOURA (MUSIC CRITIC)-BR
Carmen Souza von den Kapverden erwies sich als neuer Stern am
Gesangshimmel.“
LEVERKUSENER JAZZTAGE, MARLER ZEITUNG-DE
Was für eine Frau! Von einer vitalen Begeisterung für ihre Musik und von einer
unaufgeregten, strahlen- den Natürlichkeit, mit der sie das Sontheimer Publikum
nach spätestens zwanzig Minuten um den Finger gewickelt hatte. (…) Das war
einer dieser Abende, eines dieser Konzerte, zu denen man nicht viel sagen
muss. Im Prinzip genügt ein Wort: großartig. Ein Abend, an dem gar alles
gepasst hat.
MINDELHEIMER ZEITUNG-DE
Carmen Souzas extrem wandlungsfähige Gesangsstimme ist neben ihrem
eleganten Erscheinungsbild wohl das beste Aushängeschild der hochtalentierten
Künstlerin. Sie kann sehr tief und voluminös singen , aber auch kindlich zart und
zerbrechlich leise . Hier bemerkt man als aufmerksamer Zuhörer sehr schnell,
dass zu ihren musikalischen Vorbildern auf jeden Fall Ella Fitzgerald gehören
muss, denn neben dem jugendlichen Charme ihrer Stimme ist besonders ihr
jazziger Scatgesang erwähnenswert, mit dem sie wie ein Jazz-Instrumentalist
über stolze drei Oktaven improvisieren kann.
HERSFELDER ZEITUNG-DE
„Vielfalt liegt Carmen Souza im Blut. So bekommen die Zuschauer im
ausverkauften Jazzclub Hannover eine zweistündige Klangreise rund um die Welt
geboten.“ WESERZEITUNG HAMELN-DE
Carmen Souza gehört zu einer neuen Musiker-Generation, die sich auf die
Tradition besinnt und zugleich mit modernem Jazz liebäugelt. Sie ist nicht nur
eine phantastische Sängerin, sondern auch eine ausge- zeichnete Pianistin und
Gitarristin.“
NÜRNBERGER NACHRICHTEN-DE
"De son concert, on repart dans la nuit, comme rasséréné, comme si au fond les
difficultés de l’existence s’effaçaient devant la beauté, l’élégance, la chaleur et la
tendresse de cette voix paisible. Qu'elle s'accompagne à la guitare ou au piano,
le charme opère, nous embarquant dans son imaginaire musical. Cela tient sans
doute à la dimension spirituelle qui sous-tend sa musique et sa vie : “ Ma
musique vient du cœur. Et de mes racines. Je chante l’amour sous toutes ses
formes, l’amour au quotidien. “
COULEURS JAZZ MAGAZINE-FR
PROMOTERS REVIEWS:
" The Lift Global Music Club is now in its 13th year as an entirely voluntary
collective and what keeps us going are experiences like Carmen's performance
on Saturday. This must surely rank as one of the best in our long history. Every
aspect was superb music that managed to challenge but always remain
accessible, revitalising a jazz vocal tradition but with Cape Verde styling’s that
took it to a new level. Carmen's vocals were amazingly engaging throughout with
beautiful songs enhanced by her on stage charisma which endeared her
immediately to the audience. As well as stunning original compositions we were
treated to an inspired version of Horace Silver's Song For My Father. I am
running out of superlatives but equally brilliant were the musicians in the band
who were so tight and in sync with Carmen that at times it took your breath
away.”
Rick Williams, Promoter, The Lift Global Music Club, UK
“We really loved having them. I was prepared to love Carmen, but what a
fantastic band!”
Rob Simonds, Promoter, Cedar Cultural Center, USA
“The concert was absolutely fantastic. The audience, mostly unfamiliar with
Carmen's work yet eager and receptive, were left speechless and swept off their
feet... Aside from her magnificent voice and multifaceted talent as a musician and
songwriter, on the stage she exhibits a great deal of warmth and genuineness.
Her
impeccable English helps her communicate with her audiences at yet another
level, as she shares some details about her personal experience and philosophy
that inspire each song.”
Fernando Arenas, Promoter, University of Minnesota, USA
When I invited Carmen Souza to Lisbon Mistura Festival 2009 had obviously
listened to her music in CD and on myspace and the refinement of her voice; the
arrangements have earned me immediately. But I had no idea how little I knew
until Carmen Souza went on stage. At that time I was amazed at the strength
and sweetness of her voice, her stage presence, musical quality and elegance of
the performance of the group, either in their original songs or versions of other
songs. It was a magical moment that was extended off stage, like it happens with
the big artists."
Carlos Martins, Musician and Artistic Director of Lisboa Mistura Festival, PT
"It was a real pleasure to have you in Rigas Ritmi Festival this summer, the
audience was brought few meters above ground by your performance! Warm
memories! Thank you!"
Rigas Ritmi Festival, LATVIA
"Speechless to define Carmen Souza Show" - JAZZ and BLUES FESTIVAL BR