| Pianist, Singer, Composer, Arranger and
Leader, Tania Maria was born in Sao Luis in the north of Brazil, in the heart
of a family who practiced music non-professionally but with real fever. In fact,
the little girl quickly became sensitive to Brazilian tempo and rhythm. Taking
up the piano at the age of 7, she found herself six years later as the leader
of a band who won first prize in a local contest. Music had become Tania Maria's
muse. She tried, in vain, to distance herself from music, but ended up giving
in to its insistent "calling" and decided to dedicate her life to music.
At first, she began performing in bars and nightclubs, and then started
traveling the world beginning in Paris, where she recorded various albums which
got her noticed at an international level, and then signed on with Concord Records.
This has been a very good collaboration since "Piquant", the first album
recorded under this label, earned her the 'Golden Feather Award', which was presented
by Leonard Feather, a famous jazz critic. At this point, her success achieved
a level where she no longer needed to prove herself. She spread her exceptional
talent as a pianist and unique singer to the 4 corners of the world. She participated
in the most prestigious jazz festivals where each time she received the most beautiful
of all awards: the publics' admiration. In 1985 she was nominated for the "Best
Jazz Vocalist of the Year" at the Grammy Awards.
Tania Maria is
a traveling spirit. Traveling past the frontiers, she succeeded in uniting the
two Americas; one of the southern warm rhythms of samba and chorinho, and the
other of the northern tonal accents of nostalgic jazz and blues sounds in which
she doesn't content herself by simply playing them. Instead she uses their similarities
and their differences to create a mutual sound that pleases the ear. In her music
she holds dear the message of memories, of people as well as individuals, of men,
women and children, memories made of the cries of freedom, pride defended, and
cultures preserved, but also hopes and the reclaiming of dignity. Most importantly
she has purified these rhythms, taken away any unnecessary elements to bring forth
the essence, the urgency and the vitality.
Tania Maria is a generous
spirit. More enlightening and passionate than ever before, it's this inspiration
of hers that has always existed, which brings Tania Maria's comeback with VIVA
BRAZIL, an album full of explosive and generous emotion which we notice from the
first beat; and like a huge fountain of youth, irrigates each number on the album.
Her Brazilian musicians give it a fantastic musical flavor.
Her new album
TANIA MARIA LIVE AT THE BLUE NOTE was released in January 2002 by Concord Records.
"I
think music more than everything is a choice. I think it was like a mission. I
chose music, and music chose me to spread this around."
Embracing the
most lyrical and appealing elements of jazz, pop, blues and Brazilian music, Tania
Maria's vibrant voice, brilliant piano work and outstanding performances have
made an artist of increasing international popularity.
Without doubt, the
true essence of Tania Maria is best experienced in her "live" performances.
Brazilian-born Tania Maria has been a leader since 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. Exposed early to the
artistry of Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Luiz Eca, Sarah Vaughan, Anita O'Day,
Tom Jobim and Milton Nascimento, she developed her own masterful synthesis of
what she heard an effervescent style of piano work and rapid-tongued vocals in
arrangements that fuse Brazilian rhythms and Caribbean salsa with the improvised
expression that is the heart of American jazz.
Her family was poor. Her 4
sisters, also musically inclined, followed their mother's prudent warnings against
making careers of such inclinations and entered the fields of dentistry, psychology,
engineering and advertising. Tania Maria spent 2 years studying for a law degree,
married and started a family, but by the mid '70s she had answered a calling that
seems to have been waiting for her since her birth. She committed herself to performing
again, moving to Sao Paulo where she sang and studied piano.
Her nightlife
soon led her to Paris, her home base for several years, where she recorded several
albums. At a concert in Australia, her formidable musical precision and freewheeling
spirit caught the attention of American guitarist Charlie Byrd, who recommended
her to Carl Jefferson, head of Concord Records. "Even then", Byrd recalls,
"she put her own stamp on music. I was very impressed, Tania Maria's first
America album, 'Piquant', earned jazz critic Leonard Feather's Golden Feather
Award".
Although 6 years of classical study underlie her solid pianistic
technique, Tania Maria's highly praised vocal skills came naturally, "I'm
Brazilian", she says, "and singing is the greatest tradition we have!".
Well known for ebullient scat singing, she indetifies herself primarily as a pianist.
"I play percussion on my piano", she explains, rather than smooth runs
up and down scales. And she often scats in unison or harmony with the notes that
flow from her touch, soaring beyond the constraints of words. "The first
person that I heard that did this was a Brazilian, Sivuca, and he did this with
the accordion, the same thing that George Benson does with his guitar. So I was
thinking, it they can do it with the accordion and guitar, why can't I do it with
the piano? For me it's so easy in one way it's my trademark. You know somehow
that Tania Maria is passing by!"
"There's a kind of musician that
utilizes the music to pass their lyrics, because the message is not in the music,
the messages is in their lyrics. I don't think I'm that kind of person. When I
do my improvisations, I have the impression that I am saying something. The music
conducts me to a certain space and a certain message."
"In our day,
the less you talk, the more you do. I'm a little tired to listen to politicians
say, oh, 'Read my lips'. It's better for me to boop-be-doo-boop-be-ooh-boo - then
it's difficult to read my lips!".
Based in New York since the '80s, this
extraordinary improviser best known for her fiery interpretation of Brazilian,
Afro-Latin, Pop and Jazz Fusion, in a style that is uniquely her own. Tania has
played virtually every important Jazz Festival in the world and has appeared on
countless television and radio programmes. Tania has recorded 19 albums and in
1985 was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category "Best Jazz Vocal Performance
- Female Artist". In 1995 Tania performed at prestigious venues like The
Blue Note and famous festivals like Saratoga Jazz Festival, New Orleans Heritage
Festival, etc... all over the world. When she chooses to perform live, everyone,
including Tania Maria, is in for a joyful celebration of "the colors of people,
the many different sounds of people". She tells us "When I play, I have
the possibility to be 80 percent more on the side of happiness. The other 20 percent,
it's up to the public to put in!".
 | | | | | CD
- Europe | CD - No Comment | CD
- Come With Me | CD - Piquant |
 | | | | | CD
- Viva Brazil | CD - Viva Maria | CD
- Taurus | CD - The Best Of |
| |
