Rosalia De Souza

Bebel Gilberto started a renaissance with her electro-tropical sound when she released Tanto Tiempo in 2000, but the talented Brazilian chanteuse Rosalia De Souza, born in Rio's Nilopolis district, jumps on the bandwagon with such finesse you couldn't even call it imitation. De Souza had moved to Italy to pursue a singing career in the late 1980s, but it took a few collaborations with Italian producer (and label mate) Nicola Conte (notably for the Break and Bossa series) for De Souza to really embrace bossa nova as viable musical direction. Thank heavens she did: 2003's Garota Moderna hits its mark with characteristic bossa nova cool, epitomizing effortlessness while never sacrificing heart.