Carmen Souza was born in Lisbon on 20 May 1981, to parents who had moved to Portugal after the Carnation Revolution ended the colonial era of their native Cape Verde.

[3] Her parents maintained close ties with the diaspora, and Souza's childhood was filled with the music and culture of Cape Verde, along with that of the former Portuguese colonies of Angola, Brazil, Mozambique and São Tomé.

[7] Souza's work transforms the traditional Cape Verde morna, adding jazz and personal invention,[8] such as vocal experiments, using her pitch and tone to emulate musical instruments.

[9] Her debut album, released in 2005, titled Ess ê nha Cabo Verde,[10] was their first West African-jazz blend adapted to an acoustic vibe.

Featuring the duo's blend of African and jazz music set to Wurlitzer electric piano and guitar, it won wide critical acclaim.

[6] Three years later, they followed up the success with Protegid (Protected), featuring Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and French accordionist Marc Berthoumieux [fr][7] with Souza on Rhodes piano, guitar, and vocals.

[2] She followed with an album released in 2014 called Live at Lagny Jazz Festival which features musicians Ben Burrell on piano, Elias Kacomanolis on drums and percussion, and her music partner Pas'cal, playing acoustic and electric bass.

[10] The positive response to her first album led to international recognition, when she performed at the World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival (WOMAD) held that year in Reading, Berkshire, England.