Liniker de Barros Ferreira Campos, known mononymously as Liniker, is a juggernaut of Brazilian music. Since her debut in 2015 with her band, Liniker e os Caramelows, she’s been making waves. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Liniker ahead of her upcoming Dublin gig to chat inspiration, the Brazil-Ireland bond, and what’s next.

Liniker e os Caramelows had their first gig when the band was just one day old, and the video for ‘Zero’, a single from their debut EP Cru, enjoyed massive viral success with 1.5 million views in the space of a week. After five years with the group, Liniker went her own way, but never lost the spirit of what the band, and she, represent. Her debut album, Indigo Borboleta Anil, is an exploration of her influences and her ancestry, and won the 2022 Latin Grammy for Best Brazilian Popular Music Album.

Her latest album, Caju, is no exception to this success, having amassed six million streams in the first 24 hours of its release on Spotify alone, plus several awards.

Throughout her career, the artist has spoken out loudly and proudly for Black trans culture, representing a community that is overlooked far too often in mainstream conversation. Her music is thoroughly infused with this advocacy.

Speaking on her musical influences, specifically for Caju, Liniker said: “When we were working [on] the Caju process, I’ve been listening to a lot of pop songs. I think that Beyoncé will always be a huge inspiration to me as a musician. Stevie Wonder. Djavan, that is one of the greatest singer-songwriters from Brazil. Gilberto Gil. I think that all the Black music, all the Black music in our community. It’s been inspiring me for so long, since I was child, since I was on my grandma’s backyard listening to a lot of things.”

While the Dublin gig is an exciting opportunity to see the talented performer, it won’t be Liniker’s first time in Ireland, and it sounds like we’ve made a good impression.

“Every time I went to Ireland was very, very, very special. I remember the last time we went, last year, was very, very, very emotional to listen to everybody in the crowd performing and singing with me.

“We were doing everything in just one voice. I’m expecting things like this, and I don’t have any doubt that this concert will be amazing.”

On the prospect of touring Ireland again, Liniker sees not just an opportunity to connect with her fans but to feed the experience back into her work.

“I think I’m looking for some connection with musicians from Ireland, too. I think that this would have been amazing to work with someone in Ireland and also to perform more in English because I’m a singer that – I’ve been composing in Portuguese – I’ve been singing all my songs in Portuguese. I think that would be nice to have a kind of collab.”

It wouldn’t be the first time the musician has been influenced by the Emerald Isle. ‘TUDO’, the lead single from Caju, was composed in Cork and tells the time-honoured tale of chance encounters and fond farewells.

On the Brazil-Ireland connection, Liniker expanded, noting the camaraderie between Irish and Brazilian people.

“I think that Ireland [sic Dublin], it’s been a city very open to the Brazilian population outside Brazil, and every time I go there I always meet a lot of Brazilian people who’s living for so long in the city.

“I think we have a special connection.”

With a stop in Dublin, this tour will be the final run of Liniker’s Caju album and era. The album, released in 2024, marked a rise in profile for the Brazilian songstress, earning her the title of the most-awarded trans woman in Grammy history across both the Latin and US-centric Grammys.

This success, however, has not gone to her head. In our chat, the artist said that while she’s incredibly grateful for her success, she’s focused on giving Caju the moment it deserves while still staying connected to the earth and the present moment.

“I’m feeling very grateful for everything I’ve been living in this year. I think that at this point in my career, I’m working a lot on the final act of Caju. We’ve been producing, not just in Europe but also in Brazil, a huge concert to say goodbye for this season, for this, this edge that was so, so, so important on my career.

“All the Grammys was very, very, very, very important, and I never will forget this. But I think that in this moment, I want to finish this page of the book with brightness and keep on writing, and keep composing, keep doing concerts. I’m not rushing myself, but I’ve been working on my next album.

“And I think that you need to be alive to understand every moment you’re living.”

What’s that? “Next album”, you say? Well, don’t get too excited just yet, as Liniker says the project is underway but won’t be rushed.

“It will be a little bit longer. I’m not really releasing right now or in the next year. We’ve been producing, yeah. But I think… when I drop, we will like it.”

Fans eager to get a taste of the artistry and presence that Liniker offers will be met with equal excitement from the singer herself.

“I’m very excited to reconnect with my crowd in Ireland. I am feeling that will be a very, very special night. And I also think that, as the last year, this year will be awesome, and I can’t wait for that.”

Liniker will play Dublin’s Vicar Street on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Tickets are available here.