Brazil MPB 2020s ▶ 20K subscribers

Zé Ibarra

Zé Ibarra is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist from Rio de Janeiro and one of the leading voices of the new MPB generation.

Origins

Born José Vitor Ibarra Ramos in 1996, he co-led the band Dônica with Tom Veloso, which released Continuidade dos Parques in 2015. He toured with Milton Nascimento on the 2019 Clube da Esquina tour and co-founded Bala Desejo before releasing his solo debut, Marquês, 256., in 2023.

The sound

His music is contemporary MPB that draws on the Clube da Esquina tradition, moving from intimate voice-and-guitar recordings to lush arrangements with horns and 1980s pop touches.

Legacy

With Bala Desejo he won the 2022 Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Contemporary Pop Album for Sim Sim Sim. As a solo artist he was nominated for Best Portuguese Language Song in 2025 for "Transe" and for Best MPB/MAPB Album in 2026 for AFIM.