Joao Selva

*OFFICIAL WOMEX SHOWCASE 2022*

Son of a pastor from Ipanema, he immersed in art from an early age and made his first guitar chords under the watchful eye of Wanda Sá, a living monument of bossa nova. Passionate about Capoeira and circus, he led very young a career as an itinerant artist presenting shows for children, from the quilombos of Bahia to the island of Gorée in Senegal, but also in Cape Verde and all over the Caribbean.

After studying Art History in between Recife and Lyon, he moved to France where he was quickly noticed on stage, notably within the Forró de Rebeca trio. Bow head of the Rio based trio Sociedade Recreativa, he became well known to all those listening to the new sounds of Brazil and collaborated with many artists (Flavia Coelho, Mestre Luiz Paixão, Maga Bo, Lucas Santtana, Chico César, Siba, Renata Rosa, etc.) in productions released by Favorite Recordings, Jarring Effects, Selo Sesc, Mundo Melhor, Tru Thoughts or even France Tv, FIP and Radio Nova.

At ease with both codified traditions and mutant aesthetics, he masterfully reassembles all the pieces of his personal puzzle and launched his solo career in 2016, following his meeting with prolific French producer Bruno Patchworks (Uptown Funk Empire, Voilaaa, Mr President, Taggy Matcher, David Walters…). From the Croix Rousse hill in Lyon, they began their collaboration releasing the single "Vida Maravilha", synchronised in an advertisement by Citroën. Then in 2017, they published a first album entitled “Natureza”.

He starts to get international attention in 2021 with his second LP "Navegar", a masterpiece of tropical pop widely broadcasted around the globe and acclaimed by critics worldwide. Magnetic vocals, funky grooves and elegant melodies at the service of beautifully arranged songs. On stage, a tropical storm swept across Europe with charismatic performances leading to several standing ovations as noticed at Jazz à Vienne, Les Nuits de Fourvière or Printemps de Bourges in France, at Amsterdam Roots Festival in the Netherlands, at Cully Jazz in Switzerland, at Horizonte Festival in Germany and at Ariano Folk Festival in Italy.

A generous and committed artist, at ease both on stage and in the studio, João Selva attaches great importance to transmission and develops numerous cultural projects, both in schools and conservatories then in prisons or in the streets. Invited by the Student Groove Orchestra of Grenoble, he directed a show presented at the Jazz à Vienne Festival 2022. That same year, inspired by the protest songs of the sixties and the orchestral arrangements of circus music, he released a mini-album as a soundtrack for the fall of the far-right Brazilian president. With his partner in crime Bruno Patchworks, he is currently promoting his third solo album "Passarinho" released in february 2023 by Underdog Records.