Bossa Nova

Marie-claire Giraud (born in Roseau, in the Commonwealth of Dominica, and raised in the Bronx, New York), more popularly known as Marie Claire or Marie-claire, is a classically-trained singer whose interests extend beyond her opera background and her Caribbean musical heritage of reggae and dancehall, into pop, hip-hop, and jazz. Jazz would probably take top billing in her second line of interests, if Giraud’s self-described major influences – Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington – are taken into account.

Jazziz praised Brazilian guitarist Badi Assad (pronounced Bah-Jee Ah-Sahje) as "a virtuoso of the highest order" while Guitar Player pegged her as "fearless!" Wonderland, her second for Deutsche Grammophone is not only an album fantasy and hope; it is also a plea for some sanity in this insane world of ours. The CD touches on many taboo topics including rape, prejudice, child prostitution and loss of cultural identity.

At a young age Phoebe Killdeer wanted to write and create her own music, she was already listening to what would become her main influences: Tom Waits, Art of Noise, Yma Sumac, Nick Cave, Carmen McRae… «I have a fascination with words and lyrics, the way they are such obvious simple things and yet they come alive with complexity and full with feeling depending on the way you place them and with which tone you pronounce or accentuate them.

Described as the first contemporary Brazilian album that measures up to the Brazilian classics of the past, "Equilibria" is the debut recording from hotly-tipped singer-songwriter Sabrina Malheiros. Born in Rio 26 years ago, Sabrina presents a sublime mix of bossas and sambas with touches of R&B and electronica. "Equilibria" combines timeless Brazilian songwriting with contemporary beats to produce this year's hottest Brazilian debut.