The edge of CATTO

CATTO is a Brazilian singer-songwriter who reached the wider public in 2011, when her song “Saga” – originally released in an eponymous EP released about two years earlier – was part of the Brazilian telenovela Cordel Encantado’s soundtrack. Telenovelas have been a great platform to popularise songs for over five decades in Brazil.

CATTO’S arrival was widely praised then, particularly for her voice, which bore similarities to the legendary singer Ney Matogrosso, whose career had begun with the performative rock band Secos e Molhados in the early 70s. CATTO has released seven albums since, with CAMINHOS SELVAGES (2025) being the most recent.

She has expanded her own repertoire with no less authorial concerts which lend her raw and edgy delivery to the oeuvres of what could be considered “old-school” musicians such as Maysa, Célia, Cauby Peixoto, and Ângela Maria. One of these concerts was the basis for the poignant album Belezas São Coisas Acesas Por Dentro (2023), featuring songs from the catalogue of the Tropicália muse Gal Costa, who had passed away the previous year.

She is mostly known as a singer but also lends her talent to other areas, working as audiovisual director, record producer, and graphic designer. As the latter, CATTO’s work can be seen in her own as well as in others’ album sleeves, such as Alice Caymmi’s Rainha dos Raios, which gained instant iconic status at the time of its release in 2015. And no iconic album is considered such for its music alone. Think of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (1977), of Madonna’s Like a Prayer (1999), of Charlie xcx’s Brat (2024). Or, if we’re considering Brazilian artists, think of the group album manifesto Tropicália Ou Panis Et Circensis (1968), of Marina Lima’s Fullgás (1984), of Marisa Monte’s Verde Anil Amarelo Cor de Rosa e Carvão (1994). Then remember the sleeve of Rainha dos Raios – simply i-co-nic!

We spoke about her journey as both an artist and an individual as she prepared for a concert in Argentina. We began by discussing how music entered her life as a profession. “Music came into my life mainly through my father, who is a musician. At home there were many instruments and lots of records. There was also the television and the radio. I loved listening to songs from around the world – that always captivated me, and I adored it. In fact, all forms of art interested me. I liked drawing and putting on little plays. And I would sing around the house. For me, it was all one thing. It was art in its entirety that interested me. Things just happened naturally.”

I’m always curious to know which artists inspired singers at the beginning of their careers and in what ways, especially when they are primarily recognised for their vocal performances, as CATTO is. She says, “I’m very influenced by female singers. I’ve always loved women in rock – Alanis [Morissette], Shakira at the start of her career in the 1990s, when I was a child. Chrissie Hynde, PJ Harvey, Courtney Love – rock singers influenced me most. And then there’s Brazilian music, with Chico Buarque, Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Marina Lima.”

I wondered whether any artists who emerged after her have also gone on to inspire her. “I’ve never had any prejudice about things. And after I released my first album, I discovered the work of so many people from my own generation – contemporaries, you know? Alice Caymmi, Johnny Hooker, Jup do Bairro, and all this gang that I absolutely love.”

We then moved on to discuss which part of her work as a singer she enjoys the most. “It’s the stage. There’s a lot of work to get to that moment. I also enjoy producing records – I think it has its own kind of magic – but the stage is where the magic happens.”

Thinking about her performance in Argentina, I asked whether she tends to create different set-lists depending on the place she’s performing, or whether that only happens when she’s preparing a new tour. “There’s a foundation I always try to preserve so that the show connects with the album and my ideas, but the set-list is always changing. Music is very alive. In shows like this one in Buenos Aires, where it’s just me and my guitar, I have more room to improvise, to pull a rabbit or two out of the hat. It’s fun.”

Focusing on how her personal life influences her work, we spoke about the joys and challenges of her being a trans woman and artist at this time in Brazil, since her gender transition took place after her debut and recognition as an artist. “There are many joys. I think the joy is not being ordinary. Not being ordinary is wonderful. And there are many challenges too. I try not to take things too personally, even though I’m constantly someone on the margins and who sometimes feels a bit out of place. There’s a fascination with art that comes from trans people – we’ve been here for thousands of years. But it’s still very difficult to have to keep explaining the basics all the time, when we’re artists and want to talk about our work, really.”

If she had to choose one song from her repertoire that best defines her today, which would it be? “The song that defines me most today is “1001 NOITES IS OVER”. I feel absolutely brilliant! “MADRIGAL” also defines me very well. These two songs from my latest album are very powerful for me. They have an incredible ability to express who I am.”

We finish by discussing the legacy CATTO hopes to leave as an artist. “I want to be remembered as an artist committed to art, committed to the craft, committed to the artistic quality of what I do. I’m very meticulous – I like working on things in the smallest detail – and I believe that in the long run the work speaks for itself. I want to leave behind a body of work that speaks for itself. And I hope I can enjoy myself along the way.”

CATTO will perform as part of Suena 2026 concert series, which showcase prominent voices in urban and pop music scene. Her concert will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 10 May 2026. Tickets can be purchased online.

(Cover photo of CATTO courtesy of Ivi Maiga Bugrimenko @ivimaigabugrimenko)

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