Cissa Paz
Singer-songwriter Cissa Paz has made a name for herself in Washington DC as an eclectic performer influenced by the local jazz sounds and her Brazilian African-Indigenous background. Nominated for 3 Wammies, her debut album gained great organic momentum. Cissa’s captivating stage presence and soulful voice bring music that is upbeat and engaging. She’s known and loved among the lovers and dancers of Brazilian music not only as a performer, but as an ambassador of her genre. Her upcoming album promises a combination of Afro-Brazilian base with funky and soulful influences. A musical melting pot of fresh collaborations with highly acclaimed artists from her home country.
Cissa’s self-titled album released in September, 2015 “is unexpectedly playful and whimsical in the nicest sense of the word, and we almost always end up falling in love with her on this…The bounding momentum of some of her sambas is uncompromising and she evokes the joie de vivre of much that is beautiful about being Brasilian.” (World Music Report). Born in Belgium by chance, Cissa was raised mostly in Rio de Janeiro. She began her musical love affair by spending afternoons with the sounds of Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Elis Regina and other Brazilian greats coming from her
parents’ record player. Her musical tastes matured as she kept sampling the musical diversity of the world. Her dance background is reflected on her music and is why most of her songs have a rhythmic sound that gets people on their feet.
Cissa’s sound was initially influenced by samba, afoxé, forro, maracatu and the popular music of Brazil. After moving to the U.S., she fell in love with Jazz, Go-go, Soul and Hip Hop and over the years her travels exposed her to more of the world’s music landscape. After falling in love with the music of Cape Verde and studying much of it, Cissa is now writing songs with that influence at heart as well as her old and new discoveries. “I’ll never get tired of falling in love with music”, she says.
