Vanessa
Parish
Crooks

Word healer.
Life enthusiast.

Vanessa Parish Crooks is a multi-talented artist — singer, songwriter, poet, rapper, spoken word artist, and actress. Born and raised in Lisbon to Cape Verdean parents from the island of Brava, her artistry lives where neo-soul, R&B, hip-hop, morna, and kizomba converge — where the personal becomes political, the lyrical becomes liturgical, giving voice to the Black Lusophone experience.

She began writing before she began performing. Spoken word was her entry point — a way of making sense of belonging and diaspora while moving between languages and cultures, and her works move fluidly between English, Portuguese, and Cape Verdean Creole. In 2012 she moved to London, living in the Oxford area, before returning to Lisbon during COVID.

By 2021, she had taken her voice into music, releasing debut single Gentle Reminder. She cites Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Mayra Andrade, and Sara Tavares as spiritual kin. Her debut EP, 3 Walls & A Call, was released in 2023 while she hosted open mics throughout Lisbon. In 2024 she won She Raps, and in 2025 became a semi-finalist on Got Talent Portugal. In July 2025 she performed at Les Ardentes Festival with She Raps, sharing a bill with David Guetta, Gucci Mane, Mustard, Ty Dolla $ign, J Balvin, and Latto.

Vanessa is also the co-founder of Soul Sessions LX — a monthly Sunday event in Lisbon combining DJ sets and live performances by local artists celebrating soul icons like Sara Tavares, Erykah Badu, Marvin Gaye, Amy Winehouse, and Sade. She is currently working on releasing her first album, and recently wrapped her first film credit.