artist.artist

Joao Selva

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Joao Selva is the son of a pastor from Ipanema. He grew up in a community of former prisoners and converted artists. At the age of 18, he began a career as a travelling artist playing music hall shows for children in Africa, South America and the Caribbean, before settling down in Lyon (France) and starting recording. Navegar (“to sail”) in 2021, Passarinho (“lit-tle bird”) in 2023... through the titles of these last two albums, João Selva will have displayed his ambitions and ideals: to fluidly and swiftly connect the musical components of a Black Atlantic that would extend from Brazilian samba to Angolan Semba, from Cape Verdean funaná to Caribbean zouk via Congolese rumba and American funk. His new album Onda continues to ride this same wave, crowning a luminous transatlantic artwork, imbued with sensuality and joie de vivre. A sunny and flamboyant spirit, the brazilian João Selva carries us away with his new wave album “Onda” - Underdog Records /2025.