Criolo

The singer-songwriter Criolo is one of the most influential and popular figures within Brazil's rap and hip-hop culture. He was born Kleber Cavalcante Gomes on September 5, 1975, and was raised in Favela das Imbuias, one of the many shanty towns that surround the city of São Paulo. At the age of 11, Gomes began honing his love for rap music by performing at small venues around his home neighborhood but it wasn't until he was 31 that he eventually released his debut album Ainda Há Tempo (2006). The album was well-received by Brazilian rap audiences and his reputation as an up-and-coming artist grew rapidly. By the time his second album Nó na Orelha was released in 2011, his reputation had begun to spread outside Brazil and it was released internationally in 2012 leading to appearances around the globe entertaining audiences in Australia, the US, and throughout Europe. Criolo followed in 2014 with Convoque seu Buda, a socially conscious album that further expanded his sonic palette by adding African rhythms into the mix. The album featured the fan favorite “Casa de Papelão,” whose lyrics dealt with gentrification in large urban areas. In the following years, Criolo collaborated with Ivete Sangalo on the Tim Maia tribute Viva Tim Maia! (2015) and released Espiral de Ilusão (2017), entirely dedicated to samba music. In 2018, the accompanying video to his single “Boca de Lobo” earned a nomination for the 2019 Latin Grammys. 2020 found the urban artist teaming up with MPB Legend Milton Nascimento for the singles “Não Existe Amor em SP” and “Cais.” Criolo's next album, 2022's Sobre Viver, would also feature Nascimento on the track "Me Corte Na Boca do Céu, a Morte Não Pede Perdão," as well as guest spots by Tropkillaz, Mayra Andrade, MC Hariel, Liniker, Maria Vilani, and Jaques Morelenbaum. That year, he also collaborated with another Brazilian rock legend, Ney Matogrosso, on the track "Algoritmo Íntimo."