Tania Maria

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Tania Maria

Background information
Birth name Tania Maria Correa Reis[1]
Born May 9, 1948 (1948-05-09) (age 60)
Origin Sao Luis, Brazil
Genre(s) Brazilian Jazz
Occupation(s) Singer, Pianist, Composer, Bandleader
Instrument(s) Piano
Years active 1971–Present
Label(s) Concord, Capitol, Blue Note, EMI, Universal
Website www.TaniaMaria.net

Tania Maria (b. May 9, 1948) is a Brazilian artist, singer, composer, bandleader and piano player, singing mostly in Portuguese or English. Her music is mostly vocal, sometimes pop, often jazzy, and unmistakably Brazilian. Whether playing fiery samba, tranquil bossa, Afro-Latin, Pop and Jazz Fusion, or any other style, she maintains a style that is uniquely her own. Her vibrant voice, brilliant piano work and outstanding performances have made an artist of increasing international popularity.

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[edit] Biography

Born in Sao Luis, northern Brazil, she has a degree in law, and married early and had children. Tania Maria began playing the piano at the age of 7, became a leader at the tender age of 13, when her band of professional musicians, organized by her father, won first prize in a local music contest and went on to play for dances, in clubs and on the radio. Her father, a metal worker and a gifted guitarist and singer, had encouraged her to study piano so that she could play in his weekend jam sessions, where she first absorbed the rhythms and melodies of samba, jazz, pop music and Brazilian chorinho. Since then, she has never worked in anyone else's group. Maria's first album Olha Quem Chega was released in Brazil in 1971, but it was a move to France in the late 1970’s that exploded Tania onto the international scene. At a concert in Australia, her formidable musical precision and freewheeling spirit caught the attention of the late American guitarist, Charlie Byrd, who recommended her to the late Carl Jefferson, founder of Concord Records.[2]

Tania has played virtually every important jazz festival in the world and has appeared on countless television and radio programmes. Tania has recorded 20+ albums and in 1985 was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category "Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female".[3] Tania performed at prestigious venues like The Blue Note and famous festivals like the Monterey Jazz Festival in '81, '83 and '89, Saratoga Jazz Festival, JVC Jazz Fest 1991, Montreux Jazz Festival, New Orleans Heritage Festival, Puerto Rico Heineken Jazzfest 2001, Malta Jazz Festival 2003 at Maltese Islands, Novosadski Jazz Festival 2004, Belgium's Jazz Middelheim 2007, and has played with such greats as Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, Sammy Figueroa and Eddie Gomez.

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Fairweather, Digby. The Rough Guide to Jazz, Rough Guides, page 6, (2004) - ISBN 1843532565
  2. ^ About Tania Maria
  3. ^ Awards Database: Tania Maria

[edit] Selective discography

Year Title Genre Label
2007 Via Brasil, Vol. 2 [reissue] Brazilian Jazz Sunny Side
2006 Via Brasil Brazilian Jazz Sunny Side
2005 Brazil With My Soul Brazilian Jazz Universal
2005 Intimidade Brazilian jazz Blue Note
2005 Tania Maria in Copenhagen w/Neils-Henning Orsted Pedersen Brazilian jazz Stunt
2004 Olha Quem Chega [reissue] Brazilian jazz Import
2003 Outrageously Wild Brazilian jazz Concord
2002 Tania Maria Live At the Blue Note Brazilian jazz Concord
2002 Happiness Brazilian jazz Recall Records UK
2000 Viva Brazil Brazilian jazz Concord Records
1997 Europe Brazilian jazz TKM
1996 No Comment Brazilian Jazz TKM
1993 The Best of Tania Maria Brazilian jazz Blue Note
1993 Outrageous Brazilian jazz Concord
1991 Forbidden Colors Brazilian jazz Capitol
1991 Lady from Brazil Brazilian jazz EMI
1990 Bela Vista Brazilian jazz Blue Note
1985 Made in New York Brazilian jazz EMI
1984 The Real Tania Maria: Wild! Brazilian jazz Concord
1983 Love Explosion Brazilian jazz Concord
1982 Come With Me Brazilian jazz Concord
1981 Taurus Brazilian jazz Concord
1980 Piquant Brazilian jazz Concord
1971 Olha Quem Chega Brazilian jazz

[edit] External links