Loalwa Braz

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Years Active

1965–2017

Genres

lambada, world beat, pop, MPB

Instruments

vocals, piano

Biography

Loalwa Braz was born in Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, into a musical family, with a father who led a popular orchestra and a mother who was a classical pianist. She began studying classical piano at the age of four and launched her singing career at twelve, eventually choosing popular rhythms over classical music despite facing initial prejudice. Her breakthrough came internationally when she moved to Paris in 1985 and later became the lead vocalist of the group Kaoma, with whom she achieved global fame through hits like "Chorando se foi".

Throughout her career, Loalwa performed at iconic venues worldwide, including the Olympia in Paris and Madison Square Garden in New York, while also contributing original music to film soundtracks. She balanced her career as a solo artist and band leader with entrepreneurial ventures, later releasing solo albums such as "Recomeçar" and "Ensolarado", the latter featuring collaborations with artists from Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Her musical journey helped spread Brazilian rhythms across continents before her tragic death in 2017.

Connected to the vibrant diaspora of Brazilian musicians abroad, Loalwa shared stages and musical spaces with various artists dedicated to popularizing Brazilian culture globally. Alongside contemporaries of the lambada and world beat movements, her legacy endures as one of the most recognizable voices of Brazilian pop music on the international stage.

Discography

• Brésil (1989)
• Recomeçar (2003)
• Ensolarado - Ao Vivo (2011)
• Batucada, Loalwa Braz, os Batuqueiros – Percussions Brésiliennes - Especial Futebol