The story begins like others. An unemployed woman leaves Brazil in search of a better life in Europe, with her six-year-old daughter in tow. The place they chose is Amsterdam. While her mother cleans houses and takes care of her boss's children, Lysa da Silva watches cartoons in the small room.
As a teenager, she changed her name to Lyzza go get into music.
Today, at age 20, Lyzza is one of the new faces of the European electronic scene. Her name came from performances outside the Netherlands when she came to feature on specialized websites and nightlife posts.
The DJ and producer has appeared in publications such as Pitchfork, Crack and Dummy Magazine, as well as performed on major stages on the continent - the Sónar festival in Barcelona, the DC-10 club on the Spanish island of Ibiza, and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
The fluidity in which she crosses genres and styles, without letting go of the beats that give rhythm to the dance floor, has attracted attention to her. In a single performance, Lyzza crosses an industrial version of the classic "Macarena," a hit by MC Bin Laden and songs with the harshness of techno.
Verve prevails in her work as a producer. Last year she released "IMPOSTER." Lyzza opens the album with a song adorned with soft piano arpeggios and closes with something that would fall into the gabber subgenre - some would call it a stake.
"When I play as a DJ, I compare myself to the rabbit that takes Alice to the hole," she says, in phrases that mix Portuguese and English. "You have all the control over people, and they have to accept what you are giving. But in the composition it's me alone dealing with anxiety, making music in my room."
Returning to Brazil is not an option at this time. Visit the country, yes. Lyzza was born in Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro, and was 15 years old the last time she was there.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon