ArtistInfo

Leila Maria

voc,
Singer of Latin and Jazz

LEILA MARIA (Singer & Songwriter) After a period working as an invited singer of Paulo Moura’s band (late Brazilian well-known conductor and clarinetist), she signs with the label GPA to record an album. Vom Kopf Bis Fuss (From Head to Feet) released in 1997 is very well received by public and critics; the CD introduces the singer and songwriter with her unique style and daring arrangements. One can check her version of “Get out of Town” (Cole Porter), an arrangement she created; and her elaborated lyrics and sophisticated pop melodies like in “Algumas Imagens da Paixão”, one of the seven songs she wrote for this album. The phonographic crisis that, in Brazil, led the great recording companies to sign with artists only for the quantity of sales, not for the quality of the productions, reduced the options for artists like Leila Maria. Still it wasn’t a problem for her and Leila kept on working in the axle Rio/São Paulo, up to securing her name as a great interpreter of the Leila always had the respect and the sympathy of the musicians, many of them being established names of our music. One is Ed Motta, singer, multi - instrumentalist, songwriter and producer who invited her to share with him one of the songs of his CD Dwitza (Universal), and the season of shows to release it in Rio, in 2002. Then, Ed said in interviews that, for him, Leila is “one of the biggest alive singers in the World”. His work at traditional venues as Mistura Fina and Modern Sound in Rio, and Bourbon Street and Tom Jazz in Sao Paulo, got the attention of the great producer José Milton and in 2003 they entered in studio to record the excellent album Off Key (Rob Digital), released in 2004. The CD gathers some of the most beautiful Brazilian songs that, sung by singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Frank Sinatra, ran the world in English versions. Leila recreates in a classy way, songs as “A Day in the Life of a Fool” and Off Key, in impeccable English and a Brazilian touch only a native of Rio de Janeiro might add. The result is an irreproachable CD in every way: the singer, the musicians and repertoire! Currently, the German label ZYX Music releases Off Key in Europe and included some of its tracks in their Café Copacabana compilation (Volumes 1 and 2). The track “Dindi” was also included in a popular soap opera of Rede Globo, the biggest Brazilian TV network. His last album is a result of a partnership between the singer and the journalist and musical critic Antonio Carlos Miguel, to whom we make room now: “Paraphrasing Gertrude Stein, ‘a song of love is a song of love is a song of love ’. For any kind of passion, sex or gender... Like those in this album, which also have the peculiarity to be related to the gay universe: because of the lyrics, or for being Standards to this public or because of the option of the authors. Great songs that in the voice of Leila Maria, one of the biggest Brazilian singers turn into elegant styles of pop, jazz and electronic sounds. And, independently of the subject, this is an album for lovers of the great music”. For the album Canções do Amor de Iguais (Deckdisc, 2007), Antonio Miguel selected from Chico Buarque (“Mar e Lua”) to k.d. lang (“Sexuality”), as well as Billy Straihorn and Johnny Alf. The singer shows all her ability, singing from jazz songs like “Lush Life” and “Ilusão à Toa” to pop songs, like “Gatas Extraordinárias”(Caetano Veloso) and “Um Certo Alguém” (Lulu Santos/Ronaldo Bastos). Leila Maria is now finishing the deal with a fancy and important label in Rio, to release her last album, “Holiday in Rio – Leila Maria sings Billie”. The CD is a compilation of songs made famous by Lady Day which she sings in her particular way, without trying to emulate Billie. For this album, Leila invited seven of her piano player friends, giving two songs for each of them to arrange. The result is a CD that wrap these jazz standards in a smooth breeze of Rio that invites us to a real holiday there! The release of the album is planned to occur in November/2014. Meanwhile, you can find videos of her performances in You Tube!

Genres

• Latin
• Jazz

Plays With