Singing in Portuguese & English, and hop-scotching her way around wordless vocals, Tania Maria takes a ton of built-in, high-voltage energy with her everywhere she goes. From Northern Brazil, she's lived in Europe and the U.S., while gaining popularity for her unique style. Samba and romantic dance blend naturally with her perky piano and syncopated vocal offerings. She's performed all over the world for some 30 years now. This recent performance of Tania Maria and the Viva Brazil Quartet comes after over twenty albums.

It's a live recording, and Tania Maria's voice projection doesn't get its due. Her voice appears to be farther off: at a distance. Nevertheless, this performance finds her in top form, using her voice as an instrument - another member of the band. The wordless vocals she contributes on "Granada" make her a convincing agent. Whistling on "Valeu," the singer takes it to a different level. Tania Maria makes the music come alive. When she sings in unison with her keyboard, we get a bright, resonant sound. Her energy translates into fascinating rhythms and joyful sambas, even when pushed a little farther from the microphone than desired.

Tania Maria at All About Jazz.
Visit Tania Maria on the web.

Track listing: Funky Tamborim / Quase / Granada / Bom Bom Bom Tchi Tchi Tchi / Valeu / É Carnaval / Florzinha / Minha Mãe and Sangria.

Personnel: Tania Maria- piano, synthesizer, vocal; Carlos Werneck- guitar bass; Luiz Augusto Cavani- drums; Mestre Carneiro- percussion.

Style: Mainstream/Bop/Hard Bop/Cool
Published: March 01, 2002

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