Suzanna Lubrano (born November 10, 1975) is a Cape Verdean

Zouk Zouk is a musical movement and dance pioneered by the French Antillean band Kassav' in the early 1980s. It was originally characterized by a fast tempo (120–145 bpm), a percussion-driven rhythm, and a loud horn section. Musicians from Mart ...

singer based in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

. Several albums have gone Gold and Platinum, while she has won major international music awards.

Biography

Born in

Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...

, Suzanna Lubrano and her parents moved to the city of

in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

when she was four. She started to sing when she was still a young child, but picked up singing professionally when she was eighteen. She made her debut as a professional singer in the popular Cape Verdean band Rabelados. Together with

Rabelados The Rabelados (from the Portuguese ''rebelados'', "rebels") are a religious community primarily found in the interior of the island of Santiago of Cape Verde. They were among the groups which revolted against the liturgical reforms of the Catholic ...

she recorded a very successful CD album. In the meantime Suzanna had already started a solo career, resulting in three solo CDs: her debut Sem bó nes mund, the successful follow up Fofó – including the megahit Ohi Li Oh La – and Tudo pa bo. On Tudo pa bo (Everything for you) Suzanna is not only working with Jorge do Rosario, Dabs Lopes and Beto Dias, as she has done on her previous albums, but also started a cooperation with

Ronald Rubinel Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form of ...

, who had previously asked Suzanna to participate on his Jeux de Dames and Zouk me Love CDs. In 2004 she released the song Silêncio on a single CD. This song was not only released in

Cape Verdean Creole Cape Verdean Creole is a Portuguese-based creole languages, Portuguese-based creole language spoken on the islands of Cape Verde. It is the native creole language of virtually all Cape Verdeans and is used as a second language by the Cape Verd ...

, but also in English and

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

. The song was written for a sad occasion: a 13-year-old Cape Verdean boy from the Dutch port city of

murdered on the street in broad day light while playing in the snow with his friends. In summer 2007, Suzanna's new single Gone was released, the first single from her upcoming album Saida, released in 2008. The Saida album contains 19 songs: Zouk Love/Kizomba tracks, written in cooperation with

(

Edith Lefel Edith Lefel (17 November 1963, in Cayenne, French Guiana - 20 January 2003, in Dreux, France) was a French singer. Biography Lefel's mother was from French Guiana and her father, a meteorologist, from the island of Martinique; she is Edith in me ...

) and

Jacob Desvarieux Kassav', also alternatively spelled Kassav, is a French Caribbean band that originated from Guadeloupe in 1979. The band's musical style is rooted in the Guadeloupean gwoka rhythm, as well as the Martinican tibwa and Mendé rhythms. Regarded a ...

(

Kassav' Kassav', also alternatively spelled Kassav, is a French Caribbean band that originated from Guadeloupe in 1979. The band's musical style is rooted in the Guadeloupean gwoka rhythm, as well as the Martinican tibwa and Mendé rhythms. Regarded ...

), acoustic songs, written together with Marcos Fernandez, Kim Alves and others, and a couple of R&B tracks in English, written in cooperation with producer Marcus "DL" Sisklind,

Ryan Toby Maurice Ryan Toby (born November 26, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. He first gained popularity for his appearance in the film '' Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit'' (1993). He is best known as a member of the Gram ...

, Dre Robinson and others. The Saida album is released by Mass Appeal Entertainment. Most of the songs are recorded at the

Blue Jay Recording Studio Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The term ''blue'' generally descr ...

, owned by Kevin Richardson, formerly of the

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...

and Saida's producer Marcus "DL" Siskind. In May 2009, Suzanna Lubrano released her fifth soloalbum, Festa Mascarado. It is a predominantly Zouk and Zouk R&B album, with sidesteps to Bachata and Batuku. On Festa Mascarado Suzanna has collaborations with Ronald Rubinel, Marcus Fernandez, Rafael Payan, Nellson Klasszik, Adalberto Lopes, Denis Graca and others. The album also includes a rap of the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. In June 2010, Suzanna Lubrano released her first DVD, "Live at Off-Corso", featuring Dutch saxophone player

Candy Dulfer Candy Dulfer (born 19 September 1969) is a Dutch jazz and pop saxophonist. She is the daughter of jazz saxophonist Hans Dulfer. She began playing at age six and founded her band Funky Stuff when she was fourteen. Her debut album '' Saxuality'' ...

as a special guest. "Live at Off-Corso" originally was a TV concert which has been televised in numerous countries, including Brazil, Portugal and many others. In December 2011, Suzanna Lubrano launched her new single Ca Bu Para, and in April 2012 the song Tardi di Mas, produced by Giorgio Tuinfort. In 2011 and 2013 Suzanna Lubrano released compilation albums, including a number of new songs. In 2015, Suzanna released the ´Vitoria´ album, including duets with Machel Montano (Trinidad), Iyanya (Nigeria) and Vinicius D´black (Brazil.

Achievements and other highlights

In December 2003 Suzanna won the prestigious Kora All African Music Award for both Best West African Female and Best African Female at an event watched by 600 million TV viewers worldwide. She was the first and until now only Cape Verdean artist to win this prestigious award, as well as the first and until now only Netherlands based artist. She was personally congratulated by both the Capeverdean President and Prime Minister, the mayor of her home city in the Netherlands, Rotterdam, as well as the Dutch Minister of Development Cooperation. Suzanna Lubrano is a Capeverdean diplomatic passport holder and the Godmother of a new Boeing of TACV Cape Verdean Airlines. Other awards include a Cabo Music Award for best singer and best duo. In June 2010, Suzanna won the Museke Online African Music Award for best African Artist based in the Diaspora. In March 2011 she was the most awarded female solo artist at the first

Cabo Verde Music Awards The Cape Verde Music Awards (abbreviation: CVMA) is an annual music award ceremony that takes place every year. The award ceremony takes place in the capital city of Praia, Cape Verde. It is also broadcast on TCV. History The origins of the cr ...

winning two awards for "Festa Mascarado" Throughout the years, Suzanna Lubrano has received Gold and Platinum albums in Africa for various releases. Suzanna Lubrano's "Live at Off-Corso TV Concert" has been transmitted by many national TV networks in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. In 2012, Suzanna Lubrano was nominated again for the Kora Awards (Best West-African Female Artist), in 2015 for the African Entertainment Awards, and in 2016 for African Album of the Year and Best West-African Female Artist at the Kora All Africa Music Awards.

Music videos

Tardi di Mas, YouTube

Festa Mascarado, YouTube

Tudo Pa Bo, YouTube

Nha Sonho, YouTube

Live in The Hague, YouTube

Gamboa Festival, YouTube

Interview, YouTube

Zouk Dance on Suzanna's Razao d'nha vida

Interview

Interview on BBC World Service/American Public Radio

Jed meets Suzanna in a park in Rotterdam, in The Netherlands.

Discography

Solo albums

* 2015 – ''Vitoria''(TransCity/BMP) * 2013 – ''The Hits Collection (2CD)''(TransCity/BMP) * 2011 – ''The best of Suzanna Lubrano''(TransCity/BMP) * 2010 – ''Live at Off-Corso'' (DVD + downloadable audio album) (TransCity/BMP) * 2009 – ''Festa Mascarado'' (''Masquerade Ball'') (Mass Appeal Entertainment) * 2008 – ''Saida'' (''Exit'') (Mass Appeal Entertainment) * 2003 – ''Tudo Pa Bo'' (''All for You'') (Kings Records) * 1999 – ''Fofó'' (''Honey'') (Kings Records) * 1997 – ''Sem Bó Nes Mund'' (''Without You in this World'') (Kings Records)

Other tracks

* Tardi Di Mas (TransCity BMP/Blue Pie Music, 2012) * Ca Bu Para (TransCity BMP/Blue Pie Music, 2012) * Justify (I Try) – Featuring Kenny B & Benaissa (TransCity BMP/Blue Pie Music, 2011) * Don't go changing (Elektric Blue Records, 2012) * Loving you forever (Elektric Blue Records, 2012) *

Hijo de la luna "Hijo de la Luna" ( English: "Son of the Moon") is a song written by José María Cano performed originally by the Spanish band Mecano with lead singer Ana Torroja. It appeared on their 1986 album, '' Entre el cielo y el suelo'', and had great s ...

(Festa Mascarado, Mass Appeal Entertainment, 2009) * Nunca Mas (Loony Johnson remix) (TransCity, 2009) * Dankbaar (

Lange Frans & Baas B Lange Frans & Baas B ("Tall Frans & Boss B") is a Dutch hip hop duo. Both Lange Frans ( alias of Frans Frederiks) and Baas B ( alias of Bart Zeilstra) grew up in Diemen, North Holland. Musical career 1997-2003: Underground music In 1997, after a ...

) (Walboomers, 2009) * Sukrinha (with La MC Malcriado,

Lusafrica Lusafrica, full name: Productions Lusafrica (French for ''Lusafrica Productions'') is a multinational independent record label company based in Paris, France. The company was founded in 1988 by José da Silva (born in 1959 in Praia, Cape Verde). ...

, 2006) * Mas um vez (Tropical Stars, Tropical Music, 2005) * Silêncio (single CD, Coast to Coast, 2004) * In Silence (single CD, Coast to Coast, 2004) * Stilte (single CD, Coast to Coast, 2004) * Paraiso (Jeux de Dames volume 4, Rubicolor, 2004) * Dilemma (Jeux de Dames volume 3, Rubicolor, 2002) * Nos dos (Beto Dias, Kings Records, 2000) * Our night (TxT Stars, volume 1, 1999) * Cada momentu (Sukuru, Rabelados, 1996)

External links

Suzanna Lubrano Videos

Suzanna Online

Reverbnation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lubrano, Suzanna 1975 births Living people 21st-century Cape Verdean women singers Cape Verdean emigrants to the Netherlands Musicians from Rotterdam Zouk musicians People from Santa Catarina, Cape Verde 21st-century Dutch women singers 21st-century Dutch singers