ZUZUKA PODEROSA is the queen warrior of her own special brand of Baile Funk: CARIOCA BASS

Funk Carioca (another name for Baile Funk, which means “The Funk Ball”) originated in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, borrowing heavily from the Miami Booty Bass movement of the 80s; but it’s just the starting place of the ZUZUKA POWER-sound.

Born in Vitoria, Brazil, ZUZUKA PODEROSA grew up in Rio and spent her formative years in the West Indies. She later moved to Brooklyn, New York to study jazz vocal improvisation and work at her poetry. For the past few years, she's been building up the underground Baile Funk, Moombahton and Global Bass scene in New York as a DJ, host and bartender.

Her project with Sonora (of Texas Global-Cumbia-Bass collective, Peligrosa) called 'Sonora Remixes: Zuzuka Poderosa', was critically acclaimed around certain Global Bass communities. Her most recent single release, a collaboration with Dublin-based producer, Orquesta, the ‘Dona Sandra EP’ is a collection of remixes, was named by NPR as one of the ‘Best Beats of Summer 2011’.

ZUZUKA has been featured in PRI's The World, MTV Iggy's 'Bands We Like', and NPR Alt.Latino's 'Spotlight'.

Currently working on her debut EP, ZUZUKA collaborates and releases singles with producers from all over the world who mix the past with the future in Sur America-cosmic new ways. She blends, raps and sings in Portuguese, Spanish and English; she likes to say “I speak Body Language, baby!”), musing provocatively and sarcastically over boomy electric kick drums and Latin percussion.

ZUZUKA makes Carioca Bass music. 'Interracial Music Babies' all her own. Her sound is fierce and fun. With a wildly engaging show, she conjures images of hot summer dance parties on gritty Brooklyn rooftops or up in the hills overlooking the sea.

Most recently, ZUZUKA gave a lecture at NYU about CARIOCA BASS for a class on Contemporary Brazilian Music, the only of it’s type on the East Coast, led by Professor Jason Stanyek. She was also featured in ‘Beyond Ipanema’, a film by Béco Dranoff documenting a new wave of Brazilian contemporary artists around the world.