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Marisa Monte

In the early 1980s when rock and roll exploded in Brazil Marisa de Azevedo Monte wanted to be an opera singer. At 14 she started studying lyric singing and took the entrance exam for the National Holiday School but shortly thereafter she discovered she loved Bilie Holiday and the new Brazilian rock as much as Marisa Callas. Carlos Monte, an economist, was a cultural director of the Portela Samba school in the 1970s and introduced her to the finest sambas from Rio de Janeiro.

After appearing with fellow students from the Colégio Andrews in a school production of “The Rocky Horror Show” directed by Miguel Falabella. Marisa began to sing informally in local bars. At 19 she went to live in Rome to further her studies of lyric singing and make contact with the world of opera but after a few months she decided to go back to Brazil and become a pop singer. While living in Rome she sang in little bars and one night in Venice while singing with an Italian guitar player she was heard by the producer Nelson Motta. She would meet him again on her return to Brazil and he would direct her first professional shows that were produced by Lula Buarque de Hollanda. From her first show at Rio’s Jazzmania she was hailed as a new sensation on the Brazilian musical scene.

Having sold out a series of short runs at theaters in Rio Marisa began to make appearances in other Brazilian capitals where she met with critical acclaim popular success.

All the while she was honing her style and expanding her repertory that ranged from Brazilian rock to classics of jazzand blues to traditional samba, from Phili Glass to the titãs, from Lobão to Gershwin. She rapidly became a cult figure among the young rock audience and the older jazz and Brazilian Popular Music crowd. Excited by her talent and her definition defying originality, the critics referred to her as ecletic In an attempt to describe the diversity and quality of her repertoire.

A year later she made a TV special shot live at the Villa Lobos Theater and directed by Walter Salles (Central Station) and Nelson Motta that was broadcast on Manchete TV before her first record was released in January 1989. She was one of the rare Brazilian artists to record her first record live. “MM” contained samba, jazz, funk, blues, soul, bossa nova and rock, ranging across different generations and styles. She had a huge national hit with “Bem Que Se Quis”, a Brazilian version of a song by the Italian singer Pino Daniele and was greeted as the revelation of the year. She sold more than 500.000 records and became a Brazilian music star.

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2
Live Review

Marisa Monte at SummerStage in Central Park

Read "Marisa Monte at SummerStage in Central Park" reviewed by Ernest Barteldes


Marisa MonteSummerStage in Central ParkNew York, NYJuly 2, 2023 Preceded by a set by DJ Lara, Marisa Monte took the stage backed by an eight-piece band that included legendary bassist Dadi with “Portas," the title track and lead single of her 2022 album of the same name. She followed with a collection of songs from her three-decade career--something she hadn't done in previous international tours, which mostly focused on tunes from her newer works.

2
Live Review

Marisa Monte at Strathmore Music Center

Read "Marisa Monte at Strathmore Music Center" reviewed by Dave Dorkin


Marisa Monte Strathmore Music CenterBethesda, MD March 10, 2022 Marisa Monte is a legendary Brazilian artist whose output moves effortlessly across multiple genres and who possesses both a stunningly subtle voice and a decidedly refined musical sensibility. All of these qualities were evident in her show in the Washington, DC area at the stately Strathmore Music Center. For those unfamiliar with Marisa's music, it can be quite a challenge to neatly sum it ...

4
Live Review

Marisa Monte: New York, June 26, 2013

Read "Marisa Monte: New York, June 26, 2013" reviewed by Ernest Barteldes


Marisa MonteBeacon TheaterNew York, NYJune 26, 2012On her first New York appearance in seven years, singer Marisa Monte began her set behind a see-through screen used to project various colorful images directly connected to her 2012 album, Tudo Que Voce Queria Saber de Verdade (Blue Note). She was backed by a seven-piece band that included members of Nação Zumbi and veteran guitarist Dadi (Novos Baianos, Caetano Veloso, Tribalistas). She started the set with the album's ...

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Award / Grant

Marisa Monte Receives Three Latin Grammy Nominations

Marisa Monte Receives Three Latin Grammy Nominations

Source: All About Jazz

BRAZILIAN SINGER MARISA MONTE RECEIVES THREE NOMINATIONS FOR 7th ANNUAL LATIN GRAMMY AWARDS

MONTE'S TWO NEW ALBUMS, UNIVERSO AO MEU REDOR & INFINITO PARTICULAR, JUST RELEASED IN US ON BLUE NOTE / METRO BLUE TO RAVE REVIEWS

The Brazilian singer-songwriter-producer Marisa Monte received three nominations for the 7th Annual Latin Grammy Awards. The nominations were announced yesterday in New York City. Monte's two new albums, Universo ao meu redor, her first-ever collection of samba songs, and Infinito Particular, a contemporary ...

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Performance / Tour

Marisa Monte Announces First US Tour in Six Years; Metro Blue Announces Digital Release Rollout

Marisa Monte Announces First US Tour in Six Years; Metro Blue Announces Digital Release Rollout

Source: All About Jazz

BRAZILIAN SINGER MARISA MONTE ANNOUNCES HER FIRST US TOUR DATES IN 6 YEARS; INCLUDING SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, MIAMI & NEW YORK

METRO BLUE ANNOUNCES DIGITAL RELEASE ROLLOUT FOR MONTE'S CATALOG & HER TWO NEW ALBUMS UNIVERSO AO MEU REDOR & INFINITO PARTICULAR

Marisa Monte has announced her first US tour dates since 2000. The Brazilian superstar will embark on a four-city tour this November in support of the US release of her two new albums, Universo ao meu redor ...

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Recording

Brazilian Singer Marisa Monte to Simultaneously Release Two New Albums September 12

Brazilian Singer Marisa Monte to Simultaneously Release Two New Albums September 12

Source: All About Jazz

"UNIVERSO AO MEU REDOR" & “INFINITO PARTICULAR," MONTE'S “NON-IDENTICAL TWINS," PRESENT TWO UNIQUE STORIES & SOUNDS

On September 12th, Blue Note / Metro Blue Records will simultaneously release two individual albums from the Brazilian superstar Marisa Monte. Universo ao meu redor is a collection of Samba songs both old and new, and Infinito Particular is a contemporary Pop record on which Monte returned to various unrecorded songs from over the course of her 15 years of songwriting. Each of the ...

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