Candida Rose

UnCommon Corner, Boylston St &, Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

Candida Rose Baptista is a multi-hyphenate in the areas of musical, cultural, & spiritual enrichment, boasting credentials as a songwriter, vocalist, author, educator, entrepreneur, mother/grandmother/great-grandmother, and community leader. A proud KabuVerdiana hailing from New Bedford, Massachusetts, Candida Rose is dedicated to studying and educating about the transnational musical legacy of Cabo Verdean Americans; she has published a book on this topic, KabuMerikanus – the Sum of US, based on original research for which she received a Master’s degree in Transnational, Cultural, and Community Studies from UMass Boston. Candida’s educational efforts have received national attention through a feature on PBS’s No Passport Required; her scholarship on Cabo Verdean women in music was published in a scholarly edited collection, Kriolas Poderozas; and her research travels to Cabo Verde are the topic of a forthcoming documentary film directed by Dr. Rosalyn Negrón, called Candida. Candida works creatively in the medium of sound, and has released two studio albums: KabuMerikana: The Sum of ME and Here I AM!. KabuMerikana brings Candida’s deep knowledge of Cabo Verdean genres like the slow, lilting morna and the polyrhythmic batuku and her training in jazz musicianship into an exciting fusion that she calls “KabuJazz.” Here I AM!, released in 2023, reflects on Candida’s spiritual journey through a sonic exploration of various cultural traditions, such as R&B, jazz, and world music. She has performed with Cabo Verdean stars like Maria de Barros and Tiny Tavares and appeared onstage at the 2014 Kriol Jazz Festival in Cabo Verde. As an entrepreneur, Candida spearheads Golden Rose Music LLC, through which she continues to share the healing power of music at nursing homes and retirement villages, as she has done for nearly 18 years. With her uniquely compelling contralto voice, Candida Rose amplifies beautiful musical sounds, positive spirituality, and important cultural conversations.