Claudia Villela

Inspired to sing from hearing the intoxicating sounds emanating from the samba school behind her grndmother’s house, Villela began singing professionally as a teen and eventually moved to the Bay Area. A scholarship to New York’s Manhattan School of Music and studies with the legendary Sheila Jordan cemented Villela’s jazz credentials, and she returned to California as an artist on a mission to create fresh, original music born of her Brazilian upbringing and passion for jazz. She blends the ever-present samba of her native Brazil with jazz, blues, and songs from around the globe, inspiring the iconic San Francisco Chronicle critic Phil Elwood to enthuse, “Villela doesn't just sing – she actually dances with her voice on top of Brazilian beats.” She has released three scintillating albums before taking a hiatus from performing, and has been busier than ever over the last few years, making a welcome return.