| ARTIST
EXTRAS |
Maria
Rita |
|
Elis
Regina |
|
César
Mariano |
|
As
the daughter of the late Elis Regina, whom many Brazilians regard
as the country’s greatest female singer of the last 50
years, and of César Camargo Mariano, a distinguished
jazz and pop pianist, arranger and composer, singer Maria Rita
is the inheritor of one of the most impressive—some would
say “intimidating”—musical lineages in Brazil.
Born on September 9, 1977 in São Paulo, Maria Rita was
just four years old when her mother died. She spent several
of her formative years, from age 16 to 24, in the USA. Majoring
in Latin American studies and communications at New York University,
she came to music slowly, her tastes tending toward American
artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Earth, Wind
and Fire. For years, given the inevitable comparisons to her
celebrated mother, she wrestled with self-doubt about her singing
ability.
''There was always a lot of pressure, from the time I was a
girl of 8 or 10,” Maria Rita told The New York Times
in 2004, “from people saying that I had to sing, and it
never was clear to me why I had this obligation…. I was
still quite young, so without really understanding my mother's
place and where I fit in relation to this mythical figure, every
time they said to me that I had to sing, I took a step backward,
away from all of that.''
In time, though, music came to play a more and more prominent
role in her life, and in 2001, she returned to her native Brazil
with the intention of becoming a professional singer. She started
quietly, but in 2002, Maria was asked to sing as a special guest
in a concert at São Paolo’s Supreme Musical Theater.
The audience was astonished by the young singer’s fresh
style, and the career of Maria Rita was launched.
 |
| Elis
Regina with the toddler, Maria Rita. |
Rita’s
2003 self-titled debut CD, infused with her “intimate
but spare sound (and) warm, sensual, jazz-inflected voice”
(The New York Times), garnered critical and popular
praise as well as multiple Latin Grammy Awards. “The
whole country was nostalgic for Elis and so there was a lot
of commotion with Maria Rita's record,'' the renowned singer
Milton Nascimento told the Times. “But she
has shown that she has something that is very much her own,
that she is very different from Elis.”
Asked in a recent San Francisco Chronicle interview
if her tendency to mention her father more often than her
mother stemmed from any lingering resentment, Maria responded,
"No, no, no, not at all. It's not that deep. Dad is just
much more of an influence. I would see the guy writing songs
in front of me. I didn't go through that process with my mom,
but I was never angry at the situation.... I'm not happy about
it, but it's just the way it is."
Maria Rita appears this Saturday at the Masonic Center in
the wake of her second CD, entitled, appropriately enough,
Segundo—a disc produced by the popular Brazilian
singer-songwriter Lenine. Reviewing Segundo,
JazzTimes called Maria Rita “the hottest, most
refreshing thing to hit the [Brazilian] jazz scene since the
turn of the 21st century.”
Maria
Rita
Saturday, May 13 • 9PM
Masonic Center |
 |
The winner of last week's trivia contest—for a pair
of tickets to the Healdsburg Jazz Festival—was Jordan
Rinker, for being the 7th person to correctly identify
Spring Season artist Jimmy Scott
as a guest star in the final episode of David Lynch's hip
and haunting ’90s TV series, Twin Peaks.
This week's trivia question is in keeping with the theme of
our lead article:
"Elis Regina," "Maria
Rita," and "Rita Lee" are all celebrated names in Brazilian
popular music (or "MPB"). Aside from this musical connection,
what do the names of these three singers have in common?
As Maria Rita's concert is on Saturday,
May 13, the 13th person to answer
this question correctly will receive a copy of the deluxe
CD+DVD edition of Maria Rita's latest CD, Segundo.
Email
Your Answer (include "Maria Rita" in the subject
line of your email)
The
fine print: Our contest winner will be notified directly
by e-mail, and both the winner’s name and the correct
answer to the question will be published in next week’s
e-News. Employees and current contractors of SFJAZZ
and its seasonal sponsors are not eligible to enter. Members
of SFJAZZ, on the other hand, are heartily encouraged to enter.
Good luck!
 |
John
Hicks, one of the most accomplished pianists
in jazz since the 1960s, has just passed away at the age
of 64. His family has issued this statement: "The
family of jazz pianist John Hicks announces his death
at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City on Wednesday,
May 10. A sad day for us all, please say a prayer." |
|
|
 |
|
 |
SFJAZZ
is still accepting reservations for this July's
tour of the Umbria Jazz Festival in historic and
romantic Perugia, Italy—but they’re
going fast, so reserve your spot today, and take
in the sights, sounds, and culinary delights of
one of the world’s greatest jazz festivals
with SFJAZZ founder and Executive Director Randall
Kline as your personal host. Complete
Info
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
