Rachel Lessa

The multi-talented artist Rachel Lessa is an actress, costume designer, singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, vocal coach, and teacher of music, arts, theater, and speech arts. She learned music as a child in the backyard of her grandmother Letícia Conceição Castro, a singer and songwriter from Ipiaú. Her other grandmother, Zezé Lessa, brought the country’s greatest artists to perform in her hometown, Ipiaú, in the 1940s.
In June 2025, Rachel toured the main cities of the Bahia countryside, such as Jacobina and Barra do Rocha, as well as five cities in the Chapada Diamantina region, launching her original single “Baião pro meu bem” and re-releasing her forró pé-de-serra album featuring her own compositions. This album was recorded in partnership with singer and accordionist Mestrinho and was presented in a show of dance, music, and poetry, for which Rachel was both the musical director and costume designer.
Also this year, she released the album “A vez da Rosa”—a show of jazz and poetry celebrating the feminine spirit, blending jazz language with various styles such as ijexá, semba, frevo, and blues. The show was directed by Jackson Costa and featured jazzman Mou Brasil alongside notable musicians from the Bahia music scene, including Felipe and Gabi Guedes, Alexandre Vieira, and Rosa Denise.
Rachel received the Fauzi Maron award and created a solo original musical performance telling her life story, also directed by Jackson Costa. As part of her research work, she wrote and performed in the musical “Ninguém fala de Dolores”, presented on the SESC-RJ Circuit, directed by Maíra Berg with musical production by Rafael dos Anjos and Thiago da Serrinha.
Rachel was a finalist on Ídolos and has shared the stage with artists such as Zélia Duncan, Mariene de Castro, Diogo Nogueira, Dominguinhos, Ivan Lins, Xangai, and Steve Coleman. She was part of Oswaldo Montenegro’s musical theater company and performed in several musicals in Rio de Janeiro.
Her training in performing arts and singing includes studies at Sorbonne 3 in Paris, Groove Music School, and UFBA in Salvador. She has worked with renowned directors such as Fátima Toledo and Luiz Fernando de Carvalho. Rachel was a contracted actress at Globo for two years, performing in soap operas like “A Favorita” and “Capitu.” She has performed in theaters across Brazil in musical productions.
Rachel is also a music researcher and has served as a judge for the regional Discovery Music Award.