Clara Ghimel is a Social Studies graduate from the University of Bahia. Right after graduation, when she was heading for an academic career, she chose to become a professional singer.Besides singing, Clara is also a self-taught musician, who plays both electric and acoustic guitars, a talented composer, and a music producer.In 1990, at the very beginning of her singing career, Clara Ghimel was nominated and won the Caymmi Award as "Best New Interpreter".Two years later, she produced and co-staged a Tribute to Elis Regina, one of Brazil..s most gifted singing talents, with world-known Brazilian singer, Daniela Mercury.In 1995, Clara Ghimel was invited to participate in three tracks of the Grammy nominated album “Break Outâ€, by Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff.Although her earliest professional influences where deeply rooted in the rich Brazilian pop music, and most specifically in Bossa Nova, Clara Ghimel found in the Blues an unique way of expressing her African influences and musical talents.She immediately became a Brazilian blues reference, after lauching her first album, “Every Night Of The Week†(Movieplay), which still plays at BBC London quite often, and is now out of print.In 2003, Clara Ghimel she released her second album, “Old Posterâ€. Although rooted in blues, this album is greatly influenced by the African sounds and rythms of her hometown Salvador, the Brazilian city with the largest African-Brazilian population.Clara Ghimel has been greatly influenced by all the top African-American blues talents, such as Etta James, her greatest reference, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Irma Thomas, Ike and Tina Turner, Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf, Sister Rosetha Thorne and Muddy Waters, just to name a few.In the past years Clara Ghimel has divided her time between Portugal and Brazil, alternating with research visits to the Mississipi Delta and Chicago Blues scenes in the U.S.Between 2006 and 2007 Clara lived in Portugal, country she considers as her second homeland, and where she performed during eight months as the resident attraction of Estoril Casino, followed by a series of performances at the Lisbon Casino.Living in Brasilia, Brazil, since mid 2007, Clara Ghimel is currently working on her third album, which is a tribute to Portugal and its influence in her musical career, to be launched late 2008.
