Tania Maria

• Name — Tania Maria • Birth Name — Tania Maria Correa Reis • Born — 9 May 1948 • Origin — São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil • Instrument — Piano • Genre — Jazz, pop, MPB • Occupation — Musician, composer, bandleader • Years Active — 1969–present • Label — Concord, Capitol, Blue Note, EMI, Universal • Website — TaniaMaria.net

• Illustration — At Monterey Jazz Festival 1981

Born in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, Tania Maria began playing the piano at the age of seven, became a leader at the 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. However, her mother was strongly against her daughter's pursuing a musical career, and at the age of 17, as reported by The New York Times, Maria "capitulated to conflicting parental pressures by getting married, giving up the piano entirely and studying law for two and a half years. But the desire to play kept nagging at her, and after five years of marriage, she left her husband and family to try to make a living as a musician."

Maria's first album, Apresentamos (We Present), was released in Brazil in 1966, followed by Olha Quem Chega (Look Who's Here!) in 1971, but it was a move in 1974 to Paris, France, where she took a residency at the Via Brazil restaurant, that exploded her onto the international scene. At a concert in Australia, her formidable musical precision and freewheeling spirit caught the attention of the American guitarist, Charlie Byrd, who recommended her to Carl Jefferson, founder of Concord Records. She relocated to New York at the start of the 1980s, signing with the label. Tania's 1983 album Come With Me – her third album with Concord – started her international breakthrough, with the title song becoming a 1980s dance-floor classic that has since been covered frequently. A year later, in 1984, her Love Explosion album contained the track "Deep Cove View" which was promoted by Robbie Vincent on his Sunday night soul shows on BBC Radio 1. The 1985 album Made in New York increased her popularity further worldwide. Maria has played virtually every important jazz festival in the world and has appeared on countless television and radio programmes. She has recorded more than 25 albums and in 1985 was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category "Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female". She has performed at venues such as the Blue Note and festivals including the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1981, 1983 and 1989, Saratoga Jazz Festival, JVC Jazz Fest 1991, Montreux Jazz Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Newport Jazz Festival in 1975, Puerto Rico Heineken Jazzfest 2001, Malta Jazz Festival 2003 at Maltese Islands, Novosadski Jazz Festival 2004, Belgium's Jazz Middelheim 2007. She performed at the annual North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague in 1978 and has returned there at least 10 times. She has played with such artists as Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, Sammy Figueroa and Eddie Gómez.

• Year — Title — Genre — Label • 1966 — Apresentamos — Brazilian jazz — Continental • 1971 — Olha Quem Chega — Brazilian jazz — Odeon • 1975 — Via Brasil — Brazilian jazz — Sunny Side • 1975 — Via Brasil, Vol. 2 — Brazilian jazz — Sunny Side • 1978 — Brazil with My Soul — Brazilian jazz — Barclay • 1979 — Live — Brazilian jazz — Accord • Brazilian jazz — Accord • 1980 — Piquant — Brazilian jazz — Concord • 1981 — Taurus — Brazilian jazz — Concord • 1983 — Come with Me — Brazilian jazz — Concord • 1984 — Love Explosion — Brazilian jazz — Concord • 1984 — Brazilian jazz — Concord • 1985 — Made in New York — Brazilian jazz — EMI • 1986 — Lady from Brazil — Brazilian jazz — EMI • 1988 — Forbidden Colors — Brazilian jazz — Capitol • 1990 — Bela Vista — Brazilian jazz — Blue Note • 1993 — Outrageous — Brazilian jazz — Concord • Brazilian jazz — Blue Note • 1995 — No Comment — Brazilian jazz — TKM • Bluesilian — Brazilian jazz — TKM • 1997 — Europe — Brazilian jazz — TKM • 2000 — Viva Brazil — Brazilian jazz — Concord Records • 2002 — Happiness — Brazilian jazz — Recall Records UK • Brazilian jazz — Concord • 2003 — Outrageously Wild — Brazilian jazz — Concord • 2004 — Olha Quem Chega (reissue) — Brazilian jazz — Import • 2005 — Intimidade — Brazilian jazz — Blue Note • (reissue) — Brazilian jazz — Stunt • Brazil with My Soul (reissue) — Brazilian jazz — Universal • 2011 — Tempo (with Eddie Gómez) — Brazilian jazz — Naïve Records • 2012 — Canto — Brazilian jazz — Naïve Records

• 2008: Tanya Maria: The Beat of Brazil with Laurindo Almeida