Maria de Barros (born February 3, 1961, in

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

) is a singer most associated with

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

, the land of her parents. Growing up in

Nouakchott , image_skyline = Nouakchott.jpg , image_caption = City view of Nouakchott , pushpin_map = Mauritania#Arab world#Africa , pushpin_relief = 1 , mapsize = , map_caption ...

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

, she moved to the United States at the age of 11, living in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

in her youth with her four siblings, and connecting more closely with her heritage in the local Cape Verdean community. She is married to, Mel Wilson Jr., a bassist with

Toots and the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...

. She considers Cesária Évora to be her godmother and an inspiration. Her music thus has Morna influences, but she also has Latin or

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

influences. Besides Évora she is a fan of

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

, Willy Chirino, and

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-eart ...

. She is also fluent and has recorded songs in several languages, including her native Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole (''Kriolu''),

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, Spanish,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. She went on tour in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, in 2008. That summer, she also performed in

Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...

's Petronello Gardens.

Awards

*2004 Nomination by '' Essence Magazine'' as the ''Face of World Music'' in its June 2004 issue *2005 ''Cape Verde Artist of the Year'' in USA *2006 ''Miriam Makeba Award,'' Excellence in Music *2008 ''Cultural Certificate of Merit,'' given by Ministry of Culture in Cape Verde *2008 ''Lunas del Auditório Award'', nominated in the category ''Melhor Concerto de World Music'' (Best World Music Concert). *2009 ''Reggadera'' song featured in HBO show '' Entourage'' *2010 Nomination by '' NAACP Image Awards'' for ''Morabeza,'' for Outstanding World Music Album *2011 ''Cabo Verde Music Awards,'' for Best Morna/Coladeira, for "Reggadera" *2011 Four nominations by '' Cabo Verde Music Awards'' of the album ''Morabeza,'' for (1) Best Traditional Album; (2) Best Female Vocalist; (3) Best Performer; and (4) Best Coladeira *2013 ''Prix Special de la Francophonie,'' by the Francophonie Chapter in Washington, D.C. Her three releases "Nha Mundo," "Danca Ma Mi" and "Reggadera" have been part of several compilations such as Putumayo, Starbucks, and Rough Guide.

Discography

*2003 ''Nha Mundo'' ("My World") *2005 ''Dança Ma Mi'' ("Dance With Me") *2009 ''Morabeza'' ("Hospitality")

References

External links

Maria de Barros's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barros, Maria de 1961 births Living people 21st-century Cape Verdean women singers French-language singers Musicians from Dakar