Raquel Silva Joly

Raquel Silva Joly, based in Rome but deeply rooted in Brazilian music traditions, emerged on the global bossa nova scene in the mid-2010s with her album Bossa Nova Memories – 20 Acoustic Classics of Brazilian Popular Music (2014), a collection of stripped-back interpretations of Brazilian standards that demonstrated her refined vocal and guitar style. 2015 saw the release of Flor De Lis: Jazz Piano and Brazilian Guitar Style, a collaboration featuring trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso, which underscored her jazz credentials and blend of Brazilian, Italian, and jazz idioms. In 2016, she released Ciao Roma: Classic Italian Love Songs, honing her bilingual approach and interpreting Italian standards with a bossa nova sensibility. In 2019, Raquel Silva Joly issued two albums: Bossanova Love Always: 12 Great Brazilian Classical Songs and La chanson française (1940–1980), the latter exploring mid-century French chansons through her intimate, acoustic vocal phrasing. Her following project, Heart of Bossa Nova (2022), reaffirmed her dedication to Brazilian repertoire, featuring renditions of classics like “El Día Que Me Quieras” with delicate guitar arrangements. Throughout her career she has collaborated closely with saxophonist Jason Sax and Italian bassist Giacomo Bondi—particularly notable on her Sax Italiano: Italian Acoustic Covers (2021) project—and performances have earned praise in European bossa nova and jazz circles.