That a Grammy-winning singer is coming to the Carver Cultural Center is a big deal, but that she's been nominated seven times makes it far bigger still. She's Brazilian jazz singer Luciana Souza, who will perform Saturday, January 19, at the Carver’s Jo Long Theater, and to call her music smooth is an understatement.
I spoke withe Ms. Souza recently about her upcoming performance.
"At the Carver I’m coming in with a brand new quintet," she said. "It’s brand new music, pretty much, with the exception of a couple of songs from my recent records. I think it’s going to sound very fresh and inspiring."
I told her that while there's no changing the elemental artist, did she find that when she surrounded herself with new musicians, did she find that it pulls out new things from her?
"Oh, absolutely! And it’s nice to get new input!" Souza said.
Unlike most musicians, she records her albums live. Clearly, the idea of recording otherwise didn't make sense to her.
"This is what I actually do -- I sing live," Souza said. "So a record for me actually has to be a reflection of -- it has to actually be that."
I asked Souza if she has a language preference for singing.
"Portugese is very comfortable for me because it’s my native language," she said. "But I’ve lived here long enough -- more than half my life -- speaking primarily English, so I feel very comfortable in English. Even though I have an accent, and I’ll never get rid of it I think."
I told her that her grasp of the language was better than many people with whom I come in contact, and she laughed heartily.
- Learn more about the performance and get tickets at: www.thecarver.org
