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currently working on debut EP
Carina Fernandes is a Soul Artist for a Better world whose creativity serves as a vehicle for change. Blending soul, funk, and spoken word, she brings warmth, honesty, and a sense of belonging wherever she goes. Her sound is like a having a good conversation at a beach vacation
Having always moved between cultures, communities, and subcultures, I naturally became a bridge between worlds. Therefore at the heart of my practice I createe spaces where people from different backgrounds can come together and connect.
I does this through my music, performances, and creative platforms - my work invites people to embrace their full humanity and stand in pride.
My art is an invitation to build an inclusive future, where everyone allows themselves to fully shine their light.
I have a passion for building large-scale interdisciplinary showcases that bring together different disciplines as I myself express in mutltiple (creative) languages. Creating immersive experiences that encourage dialogue, connection, and collaboration across creative fields. In 2023 for example I was asked to creative direct, perform and host at the opening of the new cultural season of Rotterdam. I curated and produced a showcase with 10 dancers, a fashion show, live and produced music with Spoken Word and an exhibition.
After playing at the Unmute Protest in front of 10.000 people I realised that I wanted to share the stage so in 2024 I founded my band Carina & The Jetsetters. Ater playing 2 shows in Rotterdam’s biggest music venue’s (de Doelen) - we spontaneously toured through Scotland, England, Belgium and the Netherlands.
My band is designed for flexibility, adapting to different stages and settings, whether it's intimate showcases, high-energy festival slots, or immersive theater performances.
COMMUNITY BUILDING COMES NATURAL TO ME,
THESE ARE SOME OF THE SPACES I CURATE
Spoken Word & Poetry talent development hub for upcoming talent. This event specifically is reknowned for creating inclusive and diverse spaces
Podcast making local politics understandable
ROTTERDAM WE MOETEN PRATEN
Consciously connecting creators since 2018 through organization of events (such as Schiedamse Poetry Slam, Art & Activism Panel and Open mics)
VERBALISM
Community event and podcast focussed on the dance community
Got a show for me?
Nothing But Freedom
Nothing But Freedom is inspired by the Oceanië collection in the Depot of Wereldmuseum Rotterdam. During the research phase, Carina Fernandes and Bastet Black learned most of the items were from West-Papua - currently still fighting for their independence due to a Dutch colonial past.
The aim was to make to make a song for the everyday - a song so accessible you wouldn’t think it is about decolonization. The visual translation is a reference to this mutual past and centers how we - as children of the colonial diaspora - connect within this history. Often the East and the West are separated narratives while, if researched, they seem like two sides of one coin.
The music video is a dedication to all Children of colonial diaspora all over the world and those who still face oppression today due to this history."