Liniker

Liniker, the São Paulo-based singer and songwriter, crafts a soulful blend of samba rock, jazz, and what she describes as new Brazilian Black music. International attention arrived for her in the late 2010s as leader of the group Liniker e os Caramelows, after which she launched a solo career via the 2021 album Indigo Borboleta Anil. Her activism and affirmational lyrics have also made her a prominent role model within Brazil’s youthful LGBTQ+ population.

Born Liniker de Barros Ferreira Campos in Araraquara, São Paulo, she absorbed a wide range of music during childhood and began writing her own material as a teenager. While studying at drama school in Santo André she met rapper Linn da Quebrada, who supported Liniker’s decision to come out as transgender. She then assembled the band Liniker e os Caramelows, whose first EP yielded the viral single “Zero.” The 2016 album Remonata brought national recognition, soon followed by international tours through North America and Europe that included a set at England’s Glastonbury Festival. The group’s 2019 release Goela Abaixo broadened their expansive multicultural approach. Her ongoing leadership in LGBTQ+ circles earned her the title of UN Free & Equal Brazil Equality Champion from the United Nations.

Once the Caramelows completed a farewell tour in 2020 and disbanded, Liniker continued alone, releasing her debut LP Indigo Borboleta Anil. Later singles included the 2022 Marcos Valle collaboration “Vida” and “Ver Em Cores” with Rashid.