Surma

About

" Ethereal melodies created by a one-woman-band that will take you to another place. "

Imagine a young girl from a small town in rural Portugal, growing up surrounded by records that almost seemed to give her powers. She took strength from PJ Harvey, grace from Alice Coltrane, innovation from Bjork and coolness from St. Vincent. Well, that girl is called Debora Umbelino, now known as Surma. Most of those powers came from her parents’ record collection, but also the sheer will to learn music. At the age of 5, she asked for some drums, but instead got a flute. Later, she tried the guitar, the piano, and some more instruments. Things clicked when she found the double bass.

Surma became her alter-ego after Umbelino moved to the Netherlands to pursue the study of the double bass and singing. Back in Portugal, for the last few years, Debora focused on her music, exploring her origins in jazz, but mixing in pop, rock, electronics, and more. The broad blend of background and genres make it hard to put Surma’s music in a box. 

Now, she is creating her own world, filled with love and understanding, invoking memories from childhood, exploring brand new sounds, and even new words. Surma is not only a true musician, but also an amazing performer. One of the best ways to fully understand her music and the atmosphere she creates is going to see her live, where all of those powers sun shine in per.

Updated by Gonçalo Castro