| Maria Rita | |
|---|---|
Maria Rita performing at Virada Cultural in 2009. |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Maria Rita Mariano |
| Born | September 19, 1977 São Paulo, Brazil |
| Origin | São Paulo, Brazil |
| Genres | MPB, Jazz, Samba |
| Instruments | Voice |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Warner Latina Wea International |
| Website | www.maria-rita.com |
Maria Rita (Portuguese pronunciation: [maˈɾiɐ ˈʁitɐ]; born September 19, 1977, in São Paulo, Brazil) is the performance name of Maria Rita Mariano, a Brazilian singer. She is the daughter of famed pianist/arranger César Camargo Mariano and the late Brazilian singing legend Elis Regina and sister to Pedro Mariano and music producer João Marcelo Bôscoli. Her namesake is family friend and famed Brazilian rock legend Rita Lee. Maria Rita majored in Latin American studies and communications at New York University, and worked as a journalist at a magazine for adolescents. "Rita" is pronounced "Hee-ta".
Maria Rita began singing professionally at the age of 24, although she had wanted to sing since she was 14. Her first CD, Maria Rita, launched her career symbolically, with the first cut on her first album, A Festa (The Party), being written by Milton Nascimento, a Brazilian singer-songwriter whose career was launched by Maria Rita's mother, Elis Regina. The CD went platinum and was a hit worldwide, making her an international star. Her mother's reputation as one of Brazil's greatest female singers has been a major influence in Maria Rita's life although she respectfully avoids the songs identified with her mother; she has said that she was always conscious of being the only daughter of a great singer. Despite having her mother's vocal DNA, she has developed her own jazzy vocal style, with singers like Ella Fitzgerald as her model.
She won the 2004 Latin Grammy Awards for Best New Artist in the General Field, Best Song in Portuguese (“A festa”) and her debut album Maria Rita won the Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) Album award for that year. The world hit that “Segundo” turned out to be, granted her in 2006, two additional Grammys Latinos – Best MPB Album and Best Brazilian Song with “Caminho das Águas” authored by Rodrigo Maranhão – and over 50 shows abroad, with full public and reviews acceptance in the Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Irving Plaza (NY), San Francisco Jazz Festival, among others.
Maria Rita was nominated for the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in 2008. On 28 June 2008, Maria Rita performed in London for the first time, with a production by Tuba Productions and JungleDrums Magazine.
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Rita also appeared with Milton Nascimento on his CD "Pieta" singing a duet on "Tristesse", which also won a Latin Grammy in 2003. She recently appeared with Uruguayan 2004 Grammy Award Winner Jorge Drexler on his CD "12 Segundos de Oscuridad" singing a duet on "Soledad". She is a big fan of and has appeared live in cameo with the Brazilian rap/hip-hop group O Rappa.
| 2004 | Result |
|---|---|
| Album of the Year - Maria Rita |
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| Record of the Year - A Festa |
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| Best New Artist |
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| Best MPB Album - Maria Rita |
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| Best Brazilian Song - A Festa (Award Went to Milton Nascimento) |
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| 2006 | Result |
| Best MPB Album - Segundo |
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| Best Brazilian Song - Caminho das Águas (Award Went to Rodrigo Maranhão) |
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| 2008 | Result |
| Best Samba/Pagode Album - Samba Meu |
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Prêmio Multishow de Música Brasileira
| 2003 | Result |
|---|---|
| Best New Artist (Solo) |
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| 2004 | Result |
| Best Album - Maria Rita |
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| Best Female Singer |
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| Best Song - A Festa (by Milton Nascimento) |
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| Best DVD - Maria Rita |
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| Best Show |
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| 2008 | Result |
| Best Album - Samba Meu |
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| Best Female Singer |
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| Best Song - Tá Perdoado |
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1Tied with Paulinho da Viola for MTV Unplugged