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