Iza Starts an International career and records with Major Lazer and Ciara

Iza starts an international career and records with Major Lazer and Ciara

In reality, I saw this coming from the time I learned about her. Back when I first covered singer Iza, she made a name for herself on YouTube by singing big hits in English. Her YouTube channel would later help her earn fans, attract attention from the right people and the next thing you know, she was signed to a recording contract with a major label.

Since then, in an incredibly short period of time, the girl has become a favorite, a rising star in Brazil’s music industry, began appearing on magazine covers, showcasing her talent with Brazilian and American artists, earning compliments from one of Brazil’s most important black female singers, becoming a judge of The Voice Brasil, doing voice-overs in Portuguese for the Brazilian release of The Lion King and performing in Rock in Rio.

But all of these preliminaries seemed to be setting the stage for what I think she’s been planning for some time: getting her foot in the international music market. I thought it would be only a matter of time before my hunch would begin to take shape. A major step in this possibility coming to fruition happened when Iza formed a friendship with American singer, Ciara, when the “Promise” singer came to Rio earlier this year with her husband, NFL quarterback, Russell Wilson, to catch Carnaval festivities. The two posted videos together and gave each other compliments. Fans were already whispering about a musical partnership.

On a recent trip to the US, Iza performed on US soil for the first-time on Friday, October 18th, at a solo show in New York. On Saturday the 19^th, she was the main attraction of the Brazilian Fest Pompano Beach, a Brazilian festival that took place in Florida on that weekend and that was also attended by Di Ferrero, Beto Barbosa and Biquini Cavadão.

Billed as “The New Voice of Brazil’s Pop Music”, it makes total sense that Iza would perform in a city such a Pompano Beach. I’ve only been there once and I can say that there is so much Brazilian presence and influence in that town that you don’t even need to be able to speak English there! I swear I saw more Brazilian flags in that town than I’ve ever seen in any Brazilian city I’ve been to!

It seems that now Iza’s plans to takes her career international is in full swing. The the singer was recently spotted in Los Angeles, United States, where she would record a video with the electronics dance group Major Lazer and her new friend, Ciara.

Hanging with Ciara, IZA had to deal with harassment of paparazzi as it was all lights, camera and flash as the two singers went out to dinner together in Los Angeles, after recording a video with Major Lazer, and needless to say, the photographers followed their every move.

As of right now, we don’t know much about the partnership between IZA, Ciara and Major Lazer, but we can say that they have recorded a song together, as well as a music video. Producer Diplo, a member of Major Lazer, posted a behind-the-scenes video showing IZA in a desert setting.

According to reports, IZA met Major Lazer during her honeymoon trip last year and since then, the possibility of collaboration has been in the air. In December 2018, Walshy Fire of Major Lazer revealed on the Internet that a partnership with the singer was forming and the fruits of the collaboration would come out “very soon”.

Brazilian women seeking to get a piece of that international fame and money seems to be a trend now. Just last week, I spoke about the new connections that singer Ludmilla was making on her recent trip to the US, this, after singer Anitta had already been building her brand in the country. I wonder how it is that Iza formed a musical connection with Ciara when Ludmilla didn’t as the two met the American singer at right around the same time on Ciara’s trip top Rio. It doesn’t really matter. Having recorded with Snoop, Cardi, and meeting with Roc Nation, Ludmilla seems to handle bids all on her own! At least Iza didn’t have to deal with any kind of drama as in the Ludmilla/Anitta beef.

Although I can’t say that I’m a fan of the music of any of the singers, I am intrigued by these developments. And as it has to do with black Brazilians and connections in the African Diaspora, I’ma most def be keeping my eye on this!