Putumayo World Music was established in 1993 to introduce people to the music of the world’s cultures. The label grew out of the Putumayo clothing company, founded by Dan Storper in 1975 and sold in 1997. In the past eighteen years, the record label has become known primarily for its upbeat and melodic compilations of great international music characterized by the company’s motto: “guaranteed to make you feel good!”

Putumayo’s CD covers feature the distinctive art of British illustrator Nicola Heindl, whose colorful, folkloric style represents one of the company’s goals: to connect the traditional and the contemporary. By combining appealing music and visuals with creative retail marketing, Putumayo has developed a unique brand identity, a rarity in today’s artist-based music industry.

Putumayo is considered a pioneer and leader in developing the non-traditional market. A large portion of its target audience consists of “Cultural Creatives,” a sociological term for 50 million North Americans and millions more around the world with an interest in culture, travel and the arts. To reach these consumers, Putumayo has built a proprietary network of more than 3,000 book, gift, clothing, coffee and other specialty retailers in the US and thousands more internationally that play and sell its CDs, in addition to maintaining a strong presence in record stores.

Dan Storper’s vision of establishing a global company and lifestyle brand is being furthered by CD distribution in more than 80 countries. The opening of Putumayo Europe in the Netherlands in 2000 enabled the company to connect with the European music and retail scene. The expansion of Putumayo International has also extended the label’s presence in South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The company now has offices in 10 countries around the world.

The Putumayo Kids division was created to introduce children to other cultures through fun, upbeat world music. Since the release of the best-selling World Playground CD in 1999, Putumayo Kids has become one of the world’s leading children’s record labels, winning critical acclaim and honors from Parents’ Choice Awards and many others. The division is expanding its globally-themed product offerings in 2011 with three fun, educational coloring books and sticker collections with African, Latin American and European themes. With its growing collection of children’s albums and other cultural products, Putumayo Kids endeavors to inspire children’s curiosity about the world.

Putumayo launched the Putumayo World Music Hour in 2000. The first commercially-syndicated world music radio show, it is now heard internationally on more than 150 commercial and non-commercial stations. Periodically, Putumayo presents thematic tours in conjunction with its CD releases. Acoustic Africa, a CD and successful international tour in 2006, returns to 32 cities in North America in 2011. Putumayo Kids has also produced several thematic tours.

The company’s commitment to helping communities in the countries where the music originates has led to the label contributing more than one million dollars to worthwhile non-profit organizations around the world.

Charitable recipients include Amnesty International, whose 50th anniversary Putumayo is commemorating via a parnership on the new Kids World Party CD, Coffee Kids, Oxfam, Mercy Corps and many more.

As international markets and consumer awareness of world music grow, Putumayo continues to develop creative ways to present exciting, underexposed global music and engaging cultural products. Please visit http://www.putumayo.com/for more information, news and updates on Putumayo World Music, its releases and events.

Artists

Aline Morales

Aline Morales' days of being Toronto's best kept secret are over. Since her arrival in Canada in 2003, Brazilian-born Morales has been well known locally as a dynamic singer, percussionist and bandleader. However, it was release of her debut solo album, the stunning Flores, Tamborese Amores, that brought national attention to this unique artist, culminating in the recent Juno nomination for World Music Album of the Year. Released in 2011, Flores, Tambores e Amores was

met with widespread critical acclaim, reaching #1 on Canada's Folk/World charts and landing on several best of 2011 lists. David Dacks writes in the Grid, “Simply put, Aline Morales’ self-released Flores, Tambores e Amores may be the finest Brazilian album ever produced in Canada.” An ambitious and eclectic record, Flores defies easy classification. While rooted in classic Brazilian song styles, such as samba, forró, Northeastern folk music and 1960’s Tropicalia, Flores inhabits its own unique musical world, where traces of Italian film scores, African sounds, avant garde poetry and vintage synths ebb and flow throughout.

Flores represents a departure for Aline, whose previous projects have been centred around traditional Brazilian drumming. Born and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Aline began her performing career as a child training in capoeira, and by the time she reached her 20's, she had performed in a variety of traditional and modern bands including one of Brazil’s most well known maracatu groups, Nacao Estrela Brilhante do Recife led by Mestre Walter de Franca. Since her arrival in Toronto, Canada in 2003, she has been a tireless promoter of the traditional maracatu rhythms of Northeastern Brazil, performing with her 30-member percussion troupe, Baque de Bamba, at countless outdoor festivals, leading parades through Kensington Market in

Toronto and even starring in Ontario Tourism’s “There’s No Place Like This” commercials.

Drawing now from a wider range of influences, Flores, Tambores e Amores finds Morales in a stage of musical exploration. Gone is the wall of percussion, replaced instead by lush, eclectic arrangements, which seamlessly blend traditional and modern instruments. At home in her new role as solo artist, Morales “shines with mature confidence amid [producer] David Arcus’ outstanding orchestrations.” (David Dacks, the Grid)

Clara Moreno

Clara Moreno is the daughter of the famous Brazilian singer/songwriter/guitarist Joyce and composer Nelson Angelo. Born in Brazil in 1971 Clara recalls her early musical experiences with great fondness: “Every night my mother would rehearse and we use to go to all her concerts - I grew up listening to music from an early age.”

Aged 23 Clara returned to Brazil in 1994 and launched straight into a career in music, guesting on the track "Minha Gata Rita Lee" on Joyce's CD ‘Revendo Amigos’. This followed guest appearances alongside other artists such as Nelson Ângelo and Robertinho Silva. Her first solo show in Brazil was in 1995 at the Au Bar in Rio in a tribute to the famous Brazilian singer Rita Lee. In 1996, Clara opened for Paulinho Moska at the Garota de Ipanema park in Rio and recorded her eponymous debut CD.

In 1997 Clara went to Japan where she appeared in the ‘Gets Bossa Nova’ show in Tokyo, Japan. That same year she contributed a recording of "Só Danço Samba" for the tribute to Bossa Nova CD ‘40 Anos de Bossa Nova’ which solidified her standing as a Brazilian singer in her own right. Her third album ‘Mutante’ was recorded in 1999, and picked up for worldwide distribution by UK based Timewarp Distribution, her name was brought to the attention of Brazilian music fans the world over.

2002 saw the release of ‘Morena Bossa Nova’ – her fourth CD where she experimented with electronic music to create an album with a contemporary take on bossa nova. It was recorded whilst Clara was pregnant with producer Rodolfo Stroeter (the producer of Joyce’s most recent CDs ‘Just a little bit crazy’ and ‘Rio Bahia’). ‘Morena Bossa Nova’ featured the Norwegian keyboard player Bugge Weseltoff as well Teco Cardoso, Robertinho Silva & Nailor "Proveta" – all regular contributors to Joyce’s recent albums.

With ‘Meu Samba Torto’ Clara felt the urge to strip things down and pay tribute to the musical heritage of the city she is from: “Bossa nova has always played a very important role in my life, and I decided to go for it with this CD and really search for the feeling of what it’s like to be a "carioca". Having listened to this music all my life I had no trouble of thinking of songs to cover and my mother Joyce, suggested some nice songs, as did Celso. I feel that the album has a 60's bossa nova feeling, which is great, but at the same time, the music that we have done is up to date and reflects a modern view through the roots of Brazilian music.”

‘Meu Samba Torto’ features a stellar line-up of Brazilian musicians including Clara’s mother, the legendary Brazilian singer-songwriter Joyce, and the celebrated songwriter and guitarist Celso Fonseca. It’s Clara’s most personal album yet and this is something she’s proud of: “The album has a certain level of spontaneity that I don’t think is very common these days. With the exception of the songs arranged by Joyce, the arrangements were all decided once we all arrived in the studio. Everything was recorded live and I was lucky to be blessed with the involvement of Celso Fonseca, Joyce, Tutty Moreno, Rodolfo Stroeter, Diego Figueiredo and Ricardo Mosca - all of them very creative and stylish musicians who helped create an end result of modern music yet steeped in tradition. The album was simply constructed around guitar/bass/drums and the idea was to bring a certain degree of intimacy between myself and the listener“

‘Meu Samba Torto’ features two new compositions written especially for Clara by Joyce (‘Sabe Quem’), & Celso Fonseca (‘Litorânea’). In fact with it’s "live" sound, Joyce’s influence runs through ’Meu Samba Torto’. This was a challenge for Clara: “I had never recorded a ‘live’ album before yet as we began recording, I started to gain more and more self confidence”. According to Clara though it’s not Joyce who is the most influential artist on ‘Meu Samba Torto: ‘João Gilberto is the greatest influence on this album - he is the main root of the cd. I have been listening to him all my life, but during the process of creating this album, I dived deeply into his mood and I recorded many of the songs using João Gilberto's light - his inspiration was a gift to me.“

Vanguard of the new bossa nova movement Celso Fonseca plays guitar and sings on three songs on the new album, and the blend of his and Clara’s voice create some of the albums highlights. There are interpretations of classic bossa nova tracks such as 'Moça Flor', originally recorded by the Tamba Trio, 'Vem Morena Vem', from Jorge Ben's debut album, and 'Morena Boca de Ouro', made famous by the one and only João Gilberto.

Flavia Coelho

A “Traveler’s Diary”. These are the words used by Flavia Coelho, Rio de Janeiro’s very own, born on the wind who came to Paris in 2006 to describe her first album. The image sticks to her album, springy and true to her joyful tumultuous life, ready to take on the world and experience the beautiful encounters that came her way. Entitled “Bossa’ Muffin”, also the name for her second single (following the acclaimed “Sunshine”), it hits like a declaration of independence or manifesto, albeit, one stripped of its dogmas and rules, a spontaneous musical movement, a virtuous celebration of cultural blending, globalization with a human side to it.

What is “Bossa’ Muffin”? A unique mix of Samba and Bossa Nova harmonic treasures, the hypnotic rhythm of the popular Nordestine music (Forro, Pagode…), the bouncing loops of reggae, the skillful braggadocio of ragamuffin, the essential pulses of African music, or even a glimpse of Catalan rumba… all of the above, seasoned with the voice of Flavia Coelho, no added effects or conceit—just a soft voice, a proud and fragile twang, appealing and warm, her colloquial voice, deep and natural. Erasing the boundaries between genre, between the tradition and the contemporary, “Bossa’ Muffin”, is however not a synthetic product created artificially in a laboratory, but rather a flavorsome fruit perfectly matured with unique experience and personality.

The soft guitar arpeggios and flute notes, on “Agnès”, recall the life of a busker, the highs and lows, intimate deceptions, which sum up Flavia Coelho’s story: a soul captured by the music and singing. From the age of 14 she practiced her art on stage, traveling from one city to another, experiencing how diverse and rich Brazillian music was. Landing in Paris, which she sings about in the sparkling “De Paris à Rio”, marked a stepping stone in her career. It was here that Flavia met Bika Bika Pierre, a musician from Cameroon, who “opened the path to African music” for her, encouraging her to take up the guitar and work with fellow musician and producer Victor Vagh.

With her two accomplices, joined by a group of musicians from various horizons, Flavia managed to craft a finely assorted sound; “Bossa’ Muffin”, highlights the variety of her vocal talent. The tender touch of “A Foto” or “Decide” to the more explosive “Canta Coming, Liberdade” or “O que sou”, and impish sally of “Amor e futebol”, to the deliciously swinging “Bossa Bika Nova”, shows Flavia, hovering over the musical genres she likes with uncanny ease. The song “Bossa Muffin” tells the story of a man who travels the world in order to find out more about himself. To find out who he is. The voyage as necessary and illuminating quest: how better to sum up such a musical wealth inside a debut album, which blows more than a slight hope, but rather has the feel of an accomplishment.

Graça Cunha

Elegant arrangements of Sambas and Brazilian Popular Music (MPB)

Graça Cunha is a singer songwriter from São Paulo, Brazil. She lives in the world of radio, TV and film where her voice can be heard on numerous film soundtracks and hundreds of jingles, Her talent and versatility is evident in her spontaneity of interpretation delivered with a distinct singularity and remarkable rhythm.

Cunha’s first professional engagement came in 1994 when she appeared as a soloist in Oswaldo Montenegro’s musical "Nocturne". Since then her celebrated career includes her beautiful voice being featured on recordings with numerous artists like Jota Quest, Skank, Paulo Miklos, Corciolli, Nereu (Trio Mocotó) and Rita Lee. She can be heard on the soundtracks for UBU (from Cacá Rossetti), Reduzida Records and Ela Pensa Que É Normal (from Maurício Guilherme) and Pelé Eterno. Her debut solo album in 2006 entitled “De Virada” on the Azul Music label, introduced new songs from a new generation of composers of samba and MPB. She has won the "Brazilian Columnist Award" (Best Solo Vocal category) for two consecutive years. Recently, Graça Cunha released her second album and continues as a band member of the TV show “Altas Horas”, hosted by Serginho Groissmann

“Saudade e Solidão” (Longing and Loneliness) was made in partnership with composer Gui Afif and produced by Dino Baroni.

Juliana Kehl

Juliana Kehl began to sing in 1995 when she started studying in a Waldorf Rudolf Steiner School. She joined the school choir and two years later traveled with it to New York to take part in a concert at Carnegie Hall. Although involved with music since early times, Juliana graduated on arts and dedicated herself to painting, dance projects and visual arts.

She only returned to music few years later and started composing her own songs.

Based on the tradition of brazilian music and filtered by an elegant contemporary look, this CD reveals a crystalline and seductive voice, with a personality that stands in its twelve tracks. African sonorities, french songs, pop music and a rich diversity of timbres and textures make this a delicious hybrid.

With clear authorial stance, Juliana Kehl creates her own space, even when she performs covers.

Her intelligent vocals is perceived on each note, wich have already been noted in the press, and critics always praise.

Two great producers (and potential partners), Gustavo Ruiz and Dipa, managed Juliana’s ideas with creativity, while maintaining her unique style. The musicians in her band and collaborators also contributed greatly to the final result.

In concert, this becomes even more obvious - like the beauty of Juliana`s voice, her gestures, and the sweetness of her compositions.

Luísa Maita

Since the moment she was born on April 27, 1982 in the Bela Vista neighborhood of São Paulo, Luísa Taubkin Maita has been surrounded by music. In fact, it was a love of music that brought her parents together, helping them cross the divide of their different family backgrounds. Luísa's father, Amado Maita, was a working class musician of Syrian Muslim roots and her mother, Myriam Taubkin, came from a wealthy family of European Jewish heritage, and has been an important concert producer and cultural advocate for over thirty years.

The diversity at home was reflected in the ethnically mixed neighborhood where Luísa spent her early childhood. Affectionately known as Bexiga, the area is home to Italian and Arab immigrants living alongside migrants from Brazil's musically rich northeast. A microcosm of Brazil's history of cultural fusion, Bexiga is famous for its bustling energy, food and music, and it is home to Vai-Vai, São Paulo's most traditional samba school.

Luísa's father owned a parking lot in the neighborhood, and he spent his days in the lot office strumming on the guitar, writing songs, playing cards, smoking, drinking and receiving his many friends. A beloved and gregarious character, Amado had released an album in 1971 that is now considered a coveted holy grail for European and Japanese vinyl collectors. His passion for Brazilian music is reflected in the decision to name his three daughters after songs composed by bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim (Luísa is named after the classic song "Ana Luísa").

Even after the family moved to a small ranch on the southeastern part of São Paulo in search of a more peaceful place to raise their kids, Luísa's home was constantly filled with visiting musicians, who came to hang out and jam with her parents. "My father had a lot of musician friends who liked him a lot," remembers Luísa. "He was very good at uniting people. They’d visit him, fall in love with the ranch, and then they’d move in. Soon the place was filled with my father’s friends, among them some great musicians."

Luísa sang a lot as a child. "My father liked to play for us, he loved the fact that my sister Teresa and I could sing in tune, and I’ve been singing all his songs and samba and bossa nova standards since I was very little." They even recorded advertising jingles professionally starting at the age of seven, including some political campaign songs that became quite famous across Brazil at the time.

Luísa was exposed at a very young age to the greats of Brazilian samba, bossa nova and jazz, and the music of legends such as João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Nana Caymmi, Vinicius de Moraes, Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo and Baden Powell provided a constant life soundtrack. As with so many Brazilian artists before her, the rhythms and energy of samba provides an essential underpinning. "The dance, the instruments, the tunes, the percussion, the body language, everything in samba influenced me a lot," notes Luísa. The more relaxed elegance of bossa nova is also a clear inspiration to Luísa's sound. "I love bossa nova, its silence, its sensuality, its vocal expression and aesthetics. It has a certain aura of peace that’s very clear in my music."

Luísa was also enamored with American music, especially the laid back jazz of Billie Holiday and Chet Baker and the funky soul and pop of Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Prince and Stevie Wonder. "Because of my schoolmates, I began to listen to the music that played on the radio. I also loved to go out to dance. So I heard a lot of music from the 80’s and 90’s, Brazilian music and foreign music."

Another aspect of her childhood that was very important to Luísa was her mother's Jewish family. "My grandfather was a religious man; he used to organize Jewish celebrations, and I remember my grandmother singing traditional Jewish songs for me. My mother’s family lived in Jardim Europa, a wealthy neighborhood in São Paulo. I went to upper-class Jewish schools until I was 13. And that experience marked me too."

Luísa's parents divorced when she was a teenager. Her mother married a farmer and moved with the children to a rural area in the state of Minais Gerais. Surrounded by nature, Luísa developed an appreciation for the natural world and was exposed to a completely different lifestyle from the sprawling urbanity of São Paulo. By the time she was seventeen, however, the city life was calling to her again, and Luísa moved back to São Paulo.

Luísa started working at her uncle Benjamin Taubkin's record label, helping to sell CDs at concerts and generally learning the ropes of the music business. It was at her uncle's office that she met producer and musician Morris Picciotto (who now goes by the name Dr. Morris) and after taking some guitar lessons with him they began to perform together in local bars. Another uncle, Daniel Taubkin, invited Luísa to sing with his group, and Luísa was also making an impression as the vocalist for the group Urbanda, who released an album in 2003.

In 2006, the Brazilian singer Virginia Rosa recorded two of Luísa's compositions, and in 2009 popular singer Mariana Aydar's version of a song co-written by Luísa and frequent collaborator Rodrigo Campos was selected as "Song of the Year" by Rolling Stone Brazil magazine. Luísa was also the featured vocalist on a widely-viewed promotional video directed by acclaimed filmmaker Fernando Meirelles (City of God) that was used in Rio's successful bid for the 2016 Olympics. While these projects kept her active and greatly expanded her profile on the national scene, Luísa was still seeking her own voice.

She assembled a new band to perform songs by songwriters whose work had played an important part in her life. After a series of six gigs, she still wasn't totally content with the musical direction. "At this point, I wasn’t certain if I should go on singing, if that was my thing or not. I went through weeks and weeks of questioning and doubt. It was then that I decided to stop, try to answer these questions, and begin to develop my own new approach. It took a lot of courage to understand what was going on and where I wanted to go. I began to write new songs, songs that expressed my feelings, what I wanted to say, to whom I wanted to say it—a new sound, with my personality, with my look."

Thus began the process of recording her first solo album. Working with frequent collaborator Rodrigo Campos and producer Paulo Lepetit, the album took two years to complete and was recorded with limited resources and lots of volunteer hours by the musicians involved. Using the off hours when Lepetit's studio was not being contracted, they focused on perfection, recording songs over and over again until they were happy with them. "That was an important learning process, not to be satisfied with something that doesn’t really expresses what I wanted to say through my art," states Luísa. "That’s why this album is so precious to me. It really represents my thoughts about music and the struggle to find this expression."

Luísa's demos were given to head of the independent record label Cumbancha by Béco Dranoff, a respected Brazilian producer who was the driving force behind a legendary series of albums for the Red Hot Organization, and who helped popularize the work of artists such as Bebel Gilberto and Bossacucanova through Ziguiriboom, the label he co-founded in 1998. As it happens, Cumbancha president Jacob Edgar was a longtime friend of Luísa's uncle, Benjamin Taubkin, but he had no idea his old friend's niece was such an amazing talent. From the moment he heard the first notes of Lero-Lero, Edgar knew Luísa was the perfect fit for the label's Cumbancha Discovery line, which seeks to introduce exceptional new artists to a wider global audience.

The result of these efforts is Lero-Lero, an album with a relaxed yet energizing spirit that reflects Luísa's personal artistic expression and outlook. With obvious allegiances to Brazilian samba and bossa nova, the songs on Lero-Lero also capture the influences of jazz, pop, soul and electronica that have captivated Luísa on her life's journey so far. Luísa credits the inspiration for the album to her native city, its neighborhoods and its people. "The lyrics and the aura of the album focus on the peculiarities of Brazilian daily life, culture and human condition. That really inspires, fascinates, interests and moves me. And I think the album transmits these feelings. The album travels through themes that encourage Brazilians to wake up to a new life: dreams; passion; labor; the struggle for peace; interior acceptance."

In a country overflowing with musical accomplishment, Luísa Maita demonstrates with Lero-Lero that she has the talent to rise above the fray and make a mark as one of Brazil's most promising new singers.

Magda Machado, a.k.a. Maguinha

The singer comes from Goiás, in Brazil, where 30 years ago she founded an ecological reservation and wildlife sanctuary – a place she is deeply connected to. When she left the backlands of Goiás, with its Savannah farms and forests, for New York, she made sure to return yearly to Brazil, and singing allowed her that freedom. In New York, she sang with Brazilian music greats such as percussionist Dom Um Romão, guitarists Sam Elyachar and Romero Lubambo, and bassist Nilson Matta. From then on, she brought Brazilian rhythms to many places around the planet before settling in Miami, where she sang at Tap Tap on South Beach for six consecutive years.

In 2004, she recorded an album with Manno Charlemagne, the treasured Haitian songwriter/singer. In 2005, came the album Earth and Sky with Brazilian guitarists Paulo and Ivo de Carvalho. In 2007, she partnered with award winning guitarist Douglas Lora to record their new compositions. The album, Voyage to Vera Cruz, won the 2008 Brazilian International Press Award in the USA.

Maguinha is presently living in China, working on a new album of original songs which will be recorded in Goiás, Brazil and Hong Kong.

Paulo and Ivo de Carvalho, guitars -- Pat Gullota, trombone -- Felipe Souto, percussion

Mart’nália

Mart’nália is an invention of mine.

A blend of Martinho, that is, me, and Anália, her mother, who has already departed this life to a better place, I believe.

Tinália, Tina, Martina or Carvu, she may seem dispretencious, but she is truly a treasure; she may give the impression of being a disconnected person, but in fact she is in tune with everything that happens, in particular in the music world, and like all great artists she is a dreamer.

The “Sonorous Mart’nália”, as some people refer to her, is a musician, a singer, a composer and one of the most complete artists I know.

She has 07 records and 02 DVDs: *
— MART’NÁLIA, LP - 1987;
— MINHA CARA, CD - 1997;
— PÉDO MEU SAMBA, CD - 2002;
— MART’NÁLIA AO VIVO, CD - 2004;
— MART’NÁLIA AO VIVO, DVD - 2005;
— MENINO DO RIO, CD - 2005;
— MART’NÁLIA AO VIVO EM BERLIM, CD/DVD - 2006;
— MADRUGADA, CD - 2008.

The last three were already released as well in Portugal and the last one is to be released in the United States and Europe soon.

What a singer!... Her singing is sweet, black and her timbre is something special.

A dancing body to any rhythm, she enjoys dancing, she plays the guitar and is also a percussionist of almost all the rhythm instruments.

A popular composer, she is my partner and member of the Composer’s Group of Unidos de Vila Isabel Samba School.

God Bless you Mart’nália.

Martinho da Vila,
the proud father, January 2005.

The description of "Para Comigo" is:

The song Para Comigo is about the artist´s lonyless during night time. She won´t sleep at night and maybe in loniless she will be happier. The moon comes to the artist and says "stay here with me" (pára comigo).

(Courtesy of Biscoito Fino)

Miriam Aïda

Miriam Aïda was born in Sweden and since her debute 2002 she has dedicated herself to Brazilian music and Jazz. From 2002 until 2012 she has released more than 10 albums and she´s been nominated several times for Sweden Grammy Award.

2012 she received the Sweden Worldmusic Award "Artist of the year ".

In 2004 she released her successful album Meu Brasil , recorded with some of Rio de Janeiro´s finest musicians and she has continued to explore the Brazilian music in its different facets. She is also singer of the extraordinary seven-piece live-act A Bossa Eletrica with great reputation on Brazilian club-scene and DJs all over the world praise the group for its deep groove and funky Brazilian vibe.

Her former albums including Meu Brasil has gained a lot of success and has taken the versatile artistry of Miram Aïda to the big festivals and concert halls in Europe and also the privilege of performing in Japan.

Míriam Maria

Following the rich lineage of singers of Brazilian Popular Music, Miriam Maria, born in São Paulo, brings in her singing, at the same time, strength and sweetness, joy and nostalgia.

She also incorporates intensely in her voice features of the contemporaneity, by her connection with the "Paulista Vanguard", of which she can be considered a 'late' member - she is one of the “Orquídeas do Brasil” (Orchids of Brazil), female band who accompanied Itamar Assumpção for many years; she participated as a vocalist in the recording of the anthology album Clara Crocodilo, by Arrigo Barnabé.

In her first solo record, “ROSA FERVIDA EM MEL” ("ROSE BOILED IN HONEY", released in 2000), these elements are evident. The dialogue between tradition and modernity, the regional Brazilian music with the 'World Music', is present not only in her singing, but also in the musical arrangements. (That album had and continues to have a history of great enthusiasm by both the critics and the growing audience of all age groups, being frequently played on the good radios from several Brazilian capitals).

So it is also in her second solo album, still being finalized, with production of drummer and composer Simone Sou and the singer Chico César. In this project, Miriam goes a step further in the above mentioned mixture and accentuates the 'footprint' of contemporaneity. Its launch is scheduled for the second half of 2013.

In 2009, she launched in partnership with Sergio Molina, the well-praised album “Sem Pensar Nem Pensar” (“ without thinking not even thinking "), with unpublished lyrics left by Itamar Assumpção especially for this project.

In collective projects, Miriam participated in concerts and cds with André Abujamra, Chico César, Zeca Baleiro, Lokua Kanza, Mestre Ambrósio, José Miguel Wisnick, Naná Vasconcelos, among others.

Currently, she is also Acordeon.

Nossa Alma Canta

“Nossa Alma Canta” formed and began playing music in 1998 originally as a trio (voice, guitar and percussions), making their way up to the actual sextet that they are today, with many collaborators.

During the past 15 years they worked to make a mix of acoustic and modern sounds, looking for a mix of the old Brazilian “bossa nova” style with the actual concepts of music. The result is an easy listening work full of details and every song is a new musical landscape, with the intense poetry of the lyrics and the marvellous voice of the singer, “Rosinha”.

All the musicians are from different musical contexts, giving to their productions a unique mood with arrangements and songs.

In the Nossa Alma Canta works it’s easy to find influences from Mediterranean, African and South-American sounds, giving to the listener a kind of musical journey keeping its balance between ethnic, electronic and jazz music.

Discography:

Bossa Nuova

Estrela

Outro Sul

I Was Made For Bossa

Roda De Bossa

Racionalidade Tropicalizada