Zouk Nation - "Zouk is the dance of the 21st Century"

Country: Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands

Influences: R&B, Cladeira, Zouk, Soul, African, different Cape Verdean music styles

Record Label: www.massappealmusic.com

Management: www.transitcity.com

Official Website: www.suzannaonline.com

MySpace Page: www.myspace.com/suzannalubrano

FaceBook Page: http://facebook.twi.bz/ae

Biography

Suzanna Lubrano is among the most popular female artists in Lusophone (Afro-Portuguese) music markets whose music clearly has its roots in traditional Cape Verdean music culture. On occasion she has been referred to as  the “Diva of Zouklove” or the “Diva of Cabo Zouk.” Such titles are in  reference to the type of music that brought her fame in her core markets: Zouk Love and Pop Caledeira. In recent years, her music has grown increasingly popular among the fast multicultural Zouk/Lambada dance scene across the globe

Born in Cape Verde, Suzanna Lubrano and her parents moved to the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands 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 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”- which included the megahit “Ohi Li Oh La” and “Tudo pa bo.”

In 2004 she released the song “Silêncio” on a single CD. This song was not only released in Cape Verdean Creole, but also in English and Dutch. The song was written for a sad occasion: a 13 year old Cape Verdean boy from the Dutch port city of Rotterdam 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. The Saida album was released by Mass Appeal Entertainment. Most of the songs are recorded at the Blue Jay Recording Studio, owned by Kevin Richardson, formerly of the Backstreet Boys and Saida’s producer Marcus “DL” Siskind.

In May 2009, Suznana Lubrano released her fifth solo album, “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.

Suzanna Lubrano and her six piece band are based in the Netherlands. Her band consists of top musicians, including band leader Jeroen de Rijk, elected best percussionist of the Benelux countries over ten times.

Some highlights from Suzanna’s career include the following:

• Suzanna Lubrano has released five solo-albums so far: “Sem Bo Mund,” “Fofo,” “Tudo Pa Bo,” “Saida” and here most recent album “Festa Mascarado” (2009).
• Suzanna has received many Gold and Platinum albums in the Lusophone market.
• Suzanna is the winner of a Kora All African Music Award for Best African Female Artists, in a televised event (held in Johannesberg, South Africa) watched by hundreds of millions of people in Africa and beyond.
• Suzanna is also the winner of a number of Cabo Music Awards.
• Suzanna has had two number one hits in the Netherlands in the urban charts of The Box (MTV neworks) and FunX Radio, the Netherlands’ leading urban radio station. It was the first time Cape Verdean language songs and non-English and non-Dutch language songs reached the number one position in the charts of The Bod. Suzanna’s 2009 single, Festa Mascarado, has become an international club hit.
• At one point, the Top Ten Playlist on Angola radio contained five of Suzanna’s songs.
• Suzanna’s previous album (Saida, 2008) brought her several Top Ten hits in various African charts, including the songs, Taxi, Fiesta, Saida, and Bai. From the 2009 release, the tracks Festa Mascarado, Friends and Quentura Tropical are already very successful. Friends, featuring the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes (TLC), is a top 10 hit in the RDP Africa charts.
• The Government of Cape Verde awarded Suzanna for her international achievements.
• She has received a Diplomatic Passport from the Government of Cape Verde, and is the Godmother of the TACV (Cabo Verde Airlines) Boeing operating the airline’s major route from Cape Verde to Boston (United States).

Suzanna Lubrano’s music was featured in both the second and fourth episodes of the Zouk Nation Podcast.