Céu (BR)

About

Also known as: Ceú, Maria do Céu Whitaker Poças, セウ

Céu blends Brazilían samba, choro, afrobeat, and hip hop into something that sounds entirely her own, and she has been doing it with remarkable consistency since her self titled debut landed in 2005. That first album earned her a Latin Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and a Grammy nod for Best Contemporary World Music Album, and it made her the first international artist chosen by Starbucks for promotion through its Hear Music series. Her second album Vagarosa hit number two on the US Billboard World Music charts, and her fourth, Tropix, won her a Latin Grammy in the Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album category, with The Guardian and The New York Times both giving it serious praise. She has kept the creative energy going across a string of projects since then. Apká was named one of the 25 best Brazilian albums of the second half of 2019 by the São Paulo Association of Art Critics, and her most recent record Novela landed on the same critics group's list of the 50 best albums of 2024. Along the way she has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, performed at Coachella, and toured Brazil celebrating the 40th anniversary of Bob Marley's Catch a Fire.