Joana Knobbe

Joana Knobbe writes songs that feel like they've been around for a while, even when they're new. She came up in São Paulo, and you can hear the city's musical history in her work, the bossa nova melodies, the samba rhythms, but she doesn't just recreate them. She started writing her own material when she was twelve, which might explain why songs like 'Amor Coragem' and 'Lîla' feel so lived-in, like they're speaking from experience rather than observation.

Her 2016 album 'Amor Coragem' introduced the title track that became something of an anthem, a song about love that's less about romance and more about the quiet courage it takes to keep going. She followed it with 'Serpente' in 2018, which felt bolder and more experimental, and then 'Cicatriz' in 2021, an album that turned inward and felt more personal. There's a band behind her, Lucas Marinho on guitar, Bruno Morais on bass, Gabriel Barbosa on drums, Raphael Garrafa on keyboards, but the songs always feel like they're coming from her.

She's been open about her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights and social justice, which has sometimes put her at odds with parts of the industry. But she doesn't make protest songs in the traditional sense. Even a track like 'Peixe Lunar' feels more like a private conversation than a public statement. Her music has appeared in films and television, but it never sounds like it was written for that purpose. It just sounds like Joana Knobbe.