Blaya

Blaya is the professional name of Karla Rodrigues, a Brazilian-born singer who was raised in Portugal after her parents moved there whilst she was still a baby. She began performing in her teens and turned professional at the age of 21 after responding to an audition as a dancer for the Portugese EDM band Buraka Som Sistema. The band quickly realised that Rodrigues' talents went beyond dancing and she was soon invited to become a full member of the group in the role of a vocalist.

Her career with Buraka Som Sistema lasted for eight years until the band announced they were taking an indefinite break in 2016. Prior to the band's hiatus, Rodrigues had already made tentative steps to launch a solo career when she released her self-titled debut EP in 2013. Her solo ambitions were put on hold for a few years whilst she concentrated her efforts into teaching dance and choreography until in 2018 when she released the single 'Faz Gostoso'. It went straight to number one in the charts and she released two further singles that year resulting in a nomination for Best Portugese Act at that year's MTV Europe Music Awards.