WOMAD

Tania Maria

From Brazil

Tania María has had a long and passionate love affair with music. Born into a family of amateur musicians in São Luis, northwestern Brazil, she began studying the piano at the age of seven and was just 13 when she was the hands-down first-prize winner in a regional competition as the leader of a group started by her father. At the time, bossa nova was all the rage from Rio to New York, adding a peppery touch to jazz like an exotic local spice. Just three years later, however, this talented young woman with a bright future tried to distance herself from music by studying law. Her fingers continued to yearn for the piano, however, and she finally gave in to its insistent call, committing herself to music with more fervour than ever. After shuttling between gigs in Rio and Sao Paulo, she recorded her first album at the age of 20, for Warner. As early as 1969, her first musical performances clearly showed her potential and her predilections: an astounding mix of Brazilian rhythms and jazz harmonies, underpinning a remarkable natural gift for spinning sophisticated melodies. After 36 years and 25 albums, and by way of such runaway hits as “Piquant”, “Come With Me” and “Made In New York”, Tania Maria stands out as one of the truly great talents on the Brazilian music scene, where she is known for her unmistakable voice, whose sultry low tones can lay down a serious groove, and for her percussive touch at the piano, where things can suddenly take a more classical turn. She has also done a lot of traveling in her time, from the Paris nightlife of the 1970s, where she met Claude Nougaro, to the New York fusion years in the 1980s; she has lived in both cities, and both continue to live in her. She’s also taken part in virtually every major jazz festival in the world, from Montreux to New Orleans, Tokyo and Nice. Tania Maria is an accomplished musician who, though always attracted to swing and jazz, has never forgotten the fundamental beats of her native choro and samba. And now, in 2005, she’s back in full force with “Intimidade”, a new album that on a single disk manages to brilliantly combine both sides of her musical personality – which, in turn, are reflected by two of her backup musicians: master bassist Eddie Gomez and Mestre Carneiro on percussion.Biography supplied by WOMAD España, 2006:Pianista, cantante, compositora y arreglista, Tania María nació en Saô Luis, en el noroeste de Brasil. La música es una larga y bella historia de amor para ella. A sus 13 años de edad consiguió un primer premio y fue contratada para numerosas actuaciones en clubes y en la radio. Animada por su padre empieza a estudiar piano y Tania absorbe las melodías y ritmos de la samba, el jazz, la música pop y el corazón brasileño.Inspirada tempranamente por el arte de Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Luiz Ezca, Sarah Vaughan, Tom Jobin y Milton Nascimento, desarrolló su propio estilo al piano sintetizando todo lo que había aprendido. Sus rápidas vocales en los arreglos que fusionan los ritmos brasileños y caribeños con improvisadas expresiones son el corazón del jazz americano.Ha residido en Nueva York. Ha participado en festivales de jazz por todo el mundo, tiene más de 20 discos grabados y en 1985 fue nominada para un Grammy en la categoría "Mejor actuación vocal mujer". Actualmente vive en Francia, continúa grabando y haciendo giras con su nuevo y dinámico grupo poniendo en pie al público en todas sus actuaciones.En 2005 grabó para el prestigioso sello Blue Note el disco Intimidade, en el que participaron el maestro del bajo Eddie Gómez y el percusionista Carneiro.