Gaby Amarantos (BR)

About

Also known as: Gabriela Amaral dos Santos

Gaby Amarantos got her start as the frontwoman of Banda Tecno Show, the group that made her a star across Pará around 2002 by singing Portuguese covers of Cyndi Lauper and Roxette over tecnobrega beats. That sound comes straight out of Belém's electronic aparelhagem soundsystem parties, and it still sits at the heart of what she does. The national breakthrough came in 2011 with her take on "Single Ladies", which earned her the nickname "Amazonian Beyonce". A year later, "Ex Mai Love" became a hit as part of the soundtrack to the telenovela Cheias de Charme. Her influences run wide, from brega and lambada to Clara Nunes, Kraftwerk and Juan Luis Guerra, and you can hear that mix in her music. More recently she has put out "Rock Doido (O Filme)" on YouTube, and earlier she teamed up with Ney Matogrosso and Urias on "Vênus em Escorpião".