In any given month, you may find Luciana Souza performing at The Soraya on the campus of Cal State Northridge, where in the past, she has put together a remarkable pair of sets of songs in English and Portuguese with guitar, bass, and her own percussion accompaniment. Or, at the Los Angeles Master Chorale's performance of Osvaldo Golijov's Oceana at Walt Disney Concert Hall and Lee Ritenour's set as part of the Hollywood Bowl's Brazil Night, where she turned up the heat.
When she accepted the invitation from Dr. Kate Reid, Director of the Studio Music & Jazz program at Frost School of Music, to come to Frost as an Artist-in-Residence, Dr. Reid and the students were thrilled.
"The students have had an incredible experience working with Luciana in masterclasses, ensembles, and one-on-one voice lessons during each of her four visits this past academic year," said Reid. "She has shared many different approaches to songwriting, improvisation, solo singing, and song interpretation with all of us. I've seen and heard the students thrive with her teaching and instruction. She has inspired all of the students of the Studio Music and Jazz department with her musicianship, artistry, and her generous spirit!"
This Brazilian singer is extraordinary, using her music to introduce her native culture anywhere she goes. But to get an extreme close-up of Luciana Souza and experience the benefits of a real connection, the place to be is in the classroom.
"I always enjoy the private lessons and the group classes," said Souza as she readied for her fourth visit to Frost last month. "Dr. Reid has supported me, helping create a schedule that allows me to do various things, like talk about singing, arranging, composing, and improvising. Each day is different, and I feel recharged and inspired by being with the students."
Souza's masterclasses focus on unique vocal techniques, but her private sessions dive into voice lessons and exercises, bringing the artist a rich experience. When she works with a student, she focuses on helping them understand something unique about themselves in the journey of being a creator, an artist—and what they bring to the lesson and that something special they can take away.
Souza doesn't believe in a single rule book, so each student session differs. It starts with the student's sound—their voice. A different song to dissect and direct in various ways. In the process of the 30-minute lessons, she directs the student. What to look out for, what to listen to as they sing, when to project, and when to be silent. She hopes those brief, private lessons may expand the student's range as they continue to find their voice and master the techniques that have earned her six Grammy nominations for her records Brazilian Duos, North and South, Duos II, Tide, Duos III, and The Book of Chet.
"The students at Frost are great singers," added Souza. "They are open-minded and curious, besides being kind and lovely." Something that reminds her of the warmth of her Brazilian people, who are cosmopolitan, warm, and welcoming.
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, she comes from a family surrounded by music and lyrics. Her father is a singer and songwriter, and her mother is a poet and lyricist. She's been a performer since age three, and her work transcends various musical styles, offering solid roots in jazz and an interesting approach to new music.
When asked about the magic behind her teaching today's generation of singers and songwriters, encouraging them to explore those roots while producing something unique, sophisticated, and traditional at the same time, she smiled and quickly answered, "I am lucky that Dr. Reid and the rest of the Frost faculty are doing an incredible job of teaching and nurturing the students. It is very easy for me to come to a school like Frost, where the faculty comprises artists who are themselves creators and making music out there. The students are always ready to work."
And this inspires her work. As a Grammy award-winning vocal artist, Souza continues to cross genre borders with her soulful music. Her album Storytellers released a few years ago, and one the artist continues to perform, has brought meaning into sound. Reportedly, the album was a collaboration with Grammy Award-winning composer and arranger Vince Mendoza and the Cologne-based WDR Big Band and purposed to be a tribute to the great songwriters of Brazil, including Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Chico Pinheiro, Djavan, Guinga, and many others.
Souza has performed and recorded with musical icons like Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bobby McFerrin, Maria Schneider, and Danilo Perez, to name a few. She just finished recording her newest album in Brazil, called Cometa [Comet]. It is a record of old and new sambas and will be released on the Sunnyside Label on August 25, 2023.
While Billboard magazine has said of Luciana: "Her music soulfully reflects, wistfully regrets, romantically woos, joyfully celebrates..." our Frost students are grateful to have this jazz leading singer as their vocal coach. They eagerly await what she has planned for their next class with every visit.
