When Célia Mara raises her smoky, expressive voice and cheers on her musicians, every concert hall suddenly turns into a “Zona Bastarda” - an almost outrageously colorful bouquet of styles thrives on rich Brazilian soil. The singer, who grew up in a small town in the north-east of Minas Gerais on the border with Bahia, once ended up in Vienna by chance and has successfully continued the career she began in her native Brazil from Austria. Naturally, there are all kinds of global influences that need to be condensed into a personal mix of styles - from traditional Brazilian rhythms and Afro grooves to tango and Nova Música Popular Brasileira. Add to this a touch of Balkan folklore, some rock, funk and hip-hop, all electronically refined - this is how Célia Mara presented herself on her stunning album “Bastardista” in 2005. She climbed to the top of the World Music Charts Europe, toured half of Europe and beyond and received the Brazilian music export prize “Copa Da Cultura” in 2006. Célia Mara's performance at the Vienna State Opera alongside the Grande Dame of Cuba, Omara Portuondo, certainly marked a highlight.
Together with Silvia Jura and Susi Rogenhofer, she is a co-founder of the movement femous: platform for famous female culture.
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