Liniker

Based in São Paulo, Liniker is a singer/songwriter known for her soulful fusion of samba rock, jazz, and what she refers to as new Brazilian Black music. She gained international exposure in the late 2010s leading the band Liniker e os Caramelows before going solo with 2021′s Indigo Borboleta Anil. Also known for her activism, Liniker’s affirmational songwriting helped establish her as a role model for Brazil’s youthful LGBTQ+ community.
Born Liniker de Barros Ferreira Campos in Araraquara, São Paulo, the artist was exposed to a variety of music from a young age and began writing her first songs as a teenager. While attending drama school in Santo André, she befriended rapper Linn da Quebrada, who encouraged Liniker to come out as transgender. She subsequently formed the band Liniker e os Caramelows and achieved viral success with the single “Zero” from their first EP. With the release of 2016′s Remonata, they broke out nationally, then internationally with tours across North America and Europe; they even played a slot at England’s Glastonbury Festival. The band’s 2019 follow-up album, Goela Abaixo, expanded on their wild multicultural sound. Meanwhile Liniker’s leadership within the LGBTQ+ community led to her being named a UN Free & Equal Brazil Equality Champion by the United Nations.
Following a farewell tour in 2020, the Caramelows disbanded and Liniker carried on as a solo artist with her first LP, Indigo Borboleta Anil. Additional singles followed including the 2022 Marcos Valle collaboration “Vida” and “Ver Em Cores” with Rashid. ~ Timothy Monger