Luciana Souza (born 12 July 1966) is a Brazilian jazz singer and composer who also works in classical and chamber music. Her song "Muita Bobeira" was featured as a music sample on Windows Vista.
Music career
Grammy winner Luciana Souza is one of jazz's leading singers and interpreters. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Ms. Souza’s work transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles. Ms. Souza has performed and recorded with Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bobby McFerrin, Maria Schneider, Danilo Perez, Guillermo Klein, John Patitucci, and many others. She has been a prominent soloist in important new works by composers Osvaldo Golijov, Derek Bermel, Patrick Zimmerli, Rachel Grimes, Angelica Negron, Shara Nova, Caroline Shaw, and Sarah Kirkland Snider, performing with the New York Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, and A Far Cry.
Ms. Souza has been releasing celebrated recordings since 2002 - including her six Grammy-nominated records Brazilian Duos, North and South, Duos II, Tide, Duos III, and The Book of Chet. Her critically acclaimed ninth recording for the Sunnyside label, The Book of Longing, presents her settings of poems by Leonard Cohen, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Christina Rossetti.
Ms. Souza began her recording career at age three with a radio commercial. She spent four years on faculty at Berklee College of Music, where she received a Bachelor's in Jazz Composition. Ms. Souza earned a Master's degree in Jazz Studies from the New England Conservatory of Music and taught for four years at Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Souza has twice been named Best Female Jazz Singer by the Jazz Journalists Association, in 2005 and 2013.
Ms. Souza appeared in the 2008 David Mamet film Redbelt, and cowrote/translated several songs for the soundtrack.
Awards and honors
Souza won a Grammy Award in 2007 as a featured vocalist on Herbie Hancock's album River: The Joni Letters. She was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album for Brazilian Duos (2003), North and South (2004), Duos II (2006), Tide (2010), and The Book of Chet (2013). She was nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album for Duos III (2013). She was named Female Singer of the Year in 2005 and 2013 by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Discography
As leader
An Answer to Your Silence (NYC, 1998) The Poems of Elizabeth Bishop and Other Songs (Sunnyside, 2000) Brazilian Duos (Biscoito Fino, 2002) Norte e Sul (Biscoito Fino, 2003) Neruda (Sunnyside, 2004) Duos II (Sunnyside, 2005) The New Bossa Nova (Verve, 2007) Tide (Verve, 2009) Duos III (Sunnyside, 2012) The Book of Chet (Sunnyside, 2012) Speaking in Tongues (Sunnyside, 2015) The Book of Longing (Sunnyside, 2018) Storytellers (Sunnyside, 2020)
As guest
With Till Bronner
Oceana (Verve, 2006) Rio (Verve, 2008)
With Guillermo Klein
Los Guachos II (Sunnyside, 1999) Los Guachos III (Sunnyside, 2002)
With Donny McCaslin
The Way Through (Arabesque, 2003) Soar (Sunnyside, 2006)
With Bob Moses
1993: Time Stood Still (Gramavision, 1994) 1998: Nishoma (Grapeshots, 2000)
With John Patitucci
Communion (Concord Jazz, 2001) Songs, Stories & Spirituals (Concord, 2003)
With Madeleine Peyroux
Bare Bones (Rounder/Decca, 2009) Anthem (Decca, 2018)
With Maria Schneider
Concert in the Garden (ArtistShare, 2004) Sky Blue (ArtistShare, 2007)
With Edward Simon
Simplicitas (Criss Cross, 2005) David Binney, Oceanos (Criss Cross, 2007)