On fire with Zuzuka Poderosa
If you don’t know who Zuzuka Poderosa is, remember this moment- the one where you open her Soundcloud in a new window and prepare yourself for the unleashing of Carioca, Baile Funk, Bom Bom Bass. She’s been on our radar for some time, and we recently got to sit down with her to discuss the lady behind the jams while our Browntourage photo bbspondent, Shruti, shot her in the comfort of Zuzuka’s Brooklyn habitat.
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Browntourage: Hey Zuzuka, tell us a little about yourself!
Zuzuka: Zuzuka Poderosa is my name – Brazilian Indonesian Brooklynera Interracial music baby, making music via one universal language, #BodyLanguage.
B: What are some fond memories of Brazil you have?
Z: I just got back from Brazil. I spent almost 2 months between family and friends. Each minute was a fond memory; the beach, nature, samba de roda, funk parties, friends, family BBQ parties, farmer’s markets, cachaça tasting…I miss it already. I can’t wait to go back.
B: How did you end up in New York and how did you make NYC your new home?
Z: I ended up in NY on my way to London when I decided to leave Grand Cayman where I spent some of my teenage years living with my mom. I decided I was going to stop in NY with my mom before the UK, but I never made it London. I lived in Queens with my mom and when she went back, I stayed and moved to Brooklyn because I wanted to be near work. Then all the magic happened. Brooklyn magic.
B: What’s unique about your music and the story it tells?
Z: My music is a reflection of where I came from and what I am. Old soul/ raver/booty shaking/Carioca & freestyle/bass/future/woman/power music.
B: You have such a strong command of the mic and stage, often raunchy – why is important to have a performance presence like that?
Z: I think my body language might intimidate a lot of people, but that’s OK. I can talk about sex, drug laws, war or politics, but then at the end of the night I will see you dipping on dance floor. No judgements. Let go. It’s important to be who you are, and I’m doing just that.
B: If you weren’t a musical artist, what would you be?
Z: If I wasn’t a musician I would be a restauranteur. #ZuzCanCook
B: You were just at SXSW, tell us some of the highlights of being at and part of the festival.
Z: The most important part of SXSW this year was to have Nego Mozambique come down to Austin for us to showcase our new project. It was his first time, and I think it was very important for both of us. We showcased all our new songs that haven’t been released yet and we wanted to see people’s reaction to our new sounds. The feedback was incredible, more exciting than we were expecting. Just really thankful for all the support.
Tweet her and follow her stunning grams.
New album coming out with Nego Mozambique this summer! Stay tuned!
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Photo Cred: Shruti Parekh