Brazilian singer Núbia kicked off her Sabores national tour in São Paulo alongside Célia Sampaio, a founding figure of women in Brazilian reggae.
A historic night at Casa Natura Musical
On March 5, 2026, singer Núbia launched the national tour of her album Sabores at Casa Natura Musical in São Paulo — and made history doing it. Sharing the stage was Célia Sampaio, known as the Lady of Reggae and recognized as the first woman to release a reggae album in Brazil.
The Sabores tour was selected by the Natura Musical 2025/2026 grant, alongside artists such as Teresa Cristina, Luedji Luna, and Alaíde Costa. The live show draws from the album’s visual project, blending sounds from roots to dub, with collaborations from female artists including Pantera Black and Célia Sampaio herself.
When she learned of her selection, Núbia was candid about what it meant: “It was a good surprise. A sense of pride too, because we know this grant carries real weight in the national music scene — it’s directly linked to the renewal of Brazilian music. So much joy from this achievement.”
“It was a good surprise. A sense of pride too, because we know this grant carries real weight in the national music scene — it’s directly linked to the renewal of Brazilian music. So much joy from this achievement.” — Núbia
From the Brazilian Jamaica to the national stage
Núbia hails from São Luís, Maranhão — nicknamed the Brazilian Jamaica for its deep reggae culture. She began guitar lessons at 15 with one of the co-founders of Guetos, a pioneering reggae band in the state. But music had already entered her life long before that.
“My mom had a friend who used to bring his guitar over, and she would stand at the door singing. I think it starts there,” she recalls. Her early reggae references were male artists — The Congos and Gregory Isaacs — but true identification came later, through discovering female voices. “I started learning about other Jamaican rhythms, other reggae subgenres, and connecting with other artists, especially women artists.”
The results speak for themselves: Sabores surpassed one million streams, landed on editorial playlists, earned a nomination for the BTG Pactual Prize, and won the 1st Tenho Mais Discos que Amigos Award. Núbia also performed at Afropunk Festival in 2025.
Structural barriers in reggae
Despite her success, Núbia is clear-eyed about the obstacles. “It’s a very closed environment. We still face a lot of difficulties — real structural challenges, the weight of patriarchy,” she says. She also stresses the need to bring intersectionality into the conversation.
“I’m a woman — so there’s the gender issue. Then there’s my sexuality: I’m a lesbian, and above all, I’m a Black woman. We need to bring this intersectionality into the discussion to understand how these structural oppressions directly interfere with our paths,” she states.
“Through our music, through our poetry, we’ve been breaking through barriers and claiming more and more space for women in reggae — across every part of the creative and production process.” — Núbia
The Lady of Reggae passes the torch
Célia Sampaio began her career in the 1980s and became a landmark figure in Brazilian reggae. Sharing the stage with Núbia feels, to her, like watching a legacy continue. “When a young artist comes along with quality and truth in what they do, I’m so happy to see the continuation of a process I started long ago,” she says.
The pioneer also underscores the power of solidarity between women in the genre: “It uplifts me, motivates me to keep fighting and creating — to show the younger women that we are always doing the work, and we must keep doing it.”
What comes next
The Sabores tour continues across Brazil throughout 2026. “I’m focused on this tour — on letting audiences discover our sound, our culture, our poetry,” says Núbia. She also teases a new studio album planned for 2027.
Event Info
- Tour: Sabores — National Tour 2026
- Opening show: March 5, 2026
- Venue: Casa Natura Musical — São Paulo, Brazil
- Selected by: Natura Musical Grant 2025/2026
- More info: https://www.naturamusical.com.br
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