Carina Fernandes (NL)

Biography

Carina Fernandes is a sparkling Renaissance woman whose creativity is a vehicle of revolution. She is known for her bubbly energy – radiating Caribbean Soul & Sunshine!
Inspired by heritage, decolonial movements and city life she is an all-round creative (singer-songwriter, host and creative director) whose work aims to initiate intergenerational conversations for a more inclusive world.
Mixing Soul, Funk & Spoken Word her sound is like: nostalgia, a summer holiday and the lovechild of Sade, Macy Gray and Amy Winehouse.

Her first single ‘Nothing But Freedom’ – a tribute to the people of West Papua and those who today still break with the debt patterns of (colonial) historical ties. Inspired by the song Mystery of Life by human rights activist Arnold Ap – Nothing But Freedom describes how even in our liberation we are still imprisoned.The music video of Nothing But Freedom is a depiction of the colonial connection between the East and the West. We see this reflected in the cast, but also in one of our favorite scenes – the dining table scene – where the table shows various dishes.

“As a Caribbean multi-ethnic kid, it is not my place to tell the story of West Papua – what I can do is use my platform to make visible the connection in our shared colonial history.” The first time she performed the song, she was on stage at the Rotterdam Unmute Us Protest in 2021 – in front of a crowded town hall square filled with over 5000 people.

As Spoken Word Artist, you may know her as runner-up Spoken Awards category Storytelling (2018). She has performed on various international stages in London, Cologne and Miami. In 2023 she had her biggest Spoken Word Showcase yet where she directed and musically co-produced her performance with 11 dancers, a fashion show and live instrumentalists merging on Amapiano and Spoken Word.
Currently focusing on her first EP – together with her band.

All sessions