Barbara Doza

Venezuelan-born and now Miami-based, singer/songwriter Barbara Doza views herself as a musical chameleon whose sound freely mixes disco, reggae, Afrobeats, pop, and rap. Born Barbara Patricia Mendoza on March 24, 1994, in the northern port city of La Guaira only miles from Caracas, she began composing as a child and completed her first song at age nine. Political upheaval in Venezuela prompted her relocation to Puerto Rico, where she tried to establish herself in music, yet the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria compelled another move, this time to Miami, Florida. There she connected with Yeti Beats, widely recognized for his productions with Doja Cat; already an admirer of the artist, Doza found the encounter especially fortunate because Yeti sought to collaborate with a Latin performer.

Her first single, “Llévame,” appeared in 2023 and was succeeded by additional solo releases plus several joint tracks, among them “Chula” alongside Angel Dior, “Get Down” with Rawayana, and “La Pista Es Mía” featuring Miguelle & Tons. Yeti handled production on her debut EP, Malandra, which arrived in 2024. The title serves as slang for a woman who has surmounted hardship through courage, endurance, and spirit. Highlighting the tracks “Papi,” “Japon,” and the previously mentioned “Get Down,” the project displayed Doza’s versatile approach as she moved fluidly across genres, anchored by her assertive vocals and rhymes.