Maria João Monteiro Grancha (born 27 June 1956) is a Portuguese

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

singer. She is known for her vocal flexibility and improvisational skills. Although considered a jazz singer, she incorporates

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

, and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

. Her main musical partner is Portuguese pianist Mário Laginha. She has also worked with

Aki Takase (born January 26, 1948) is a Japanese jazz pianist and composer. Biography Takase was born in Osaka and started to play piano at age 3. Raised in Tokyo, she studied classical piano at Toho Gakuen School of Music.Ankeny, Jaso"Artist Biography".A ...

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...

David Linx David Linx (born 22 March 1965) is a Belgian jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. ...

Dino Saluzzi Timoteo "Dino" Saluzzi (born 20 May 1935) is an Argentinian bandoneon player. He is the son of Cayetano Saluzzi and the father of guitarist José Maria Saluzzi. Early life, family and education Timoteo "Dino" Saluzzi was born in Campo Santo, ...

Gilberto Gil Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration ...

Joe Zawinul Josef Erich Zawinul ( '; 7 July 1932 – 11 September 2007) was an Austrian jazz and jazz fusion keyboardist and composer. First coming to prominence with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, Zawinul went on to play with Miles Davis and to bec ...

Kai Eckhardt Kai Eckhardt (born 15 June 1961) is a German born musician and composer who plays bass, best known for his work with John McLaughlin, Vital Information, Torsten de Winkel, Billy Cobham and Garaj Mahal—a band he co-founded. Educated at the pres ...

, Lenine,

Manu Katche Manu may refer to: Geography *Manú Province, a province of Peru, in the Madre de Dios Region **Manú National Park, Peru ** Manú River, in southeastern Peru *Manu River (Tripura), which originates in India and flows into Bangladesh * Manu Temp ...

Ralph Towner Ralph Towner (born March 1, 1940) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and bandleader. He plays the twelve-string guitar, classical guitar, piano, synthesizer, percussion, trumpet and French horn. Biography Towner was born i ...

Trilok Gurtu Trilok Gurtu (born 30 October 1951) is an Indian percussionist and composer whose work has blended the music of India with jazz fusion and world music. He has worked with Terje Rypdal, Gary Moore, John McLaughlin, Jan Garbarek, Joe Zawinul, M ...

Wolfgang Muthspiel Wolfgang Muthspiel (born 2 March 1965) is an Austrian jazz guitarist and record label owner. He is the brother of musician Christian Muthspiel. Music career When he was six, he began playing violin, and at fourteen he moved on to classical gui ...

, an
OGRE

Discography

* ''Quinteto Maria João'' (Orfeu (Pt), 1983), with Mário Laginha * ''Cem Caminhos'' with Maria João Quintet (Orfeu/Nabel (G), 1985) * ''Conversa'' with Maria João Quintet (Nabel, 1986) * ''Looking for Love'' with

(

Enja Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Ja ...

(G), 1988) * ''Sol'' with Grupo Cal Viva (Enja, 1991) * ''Alice'' with Aki Takase and

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (, 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son of ...

(Enja, 1992) * ''Danças'' with Mário Laginha (

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

World, 1994) * ''Fábula'' (Verve, 1996), with

Manu Katché Manu Katché (born 27 October 1958) is a French drummer and songwriter of Ivorian descent. He has worked extensively as a session musician, notably with Sting and Peter Gabriel, and his solo albums as a bandleader are largely in the jazz fusion ...

a.o. * ''Cor'' with Mário Laginha,

and

(Verve, 1998) * ''Lobos, Raposas e Coiotes'' with Mário Laginha and NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Hannover and Arild Remmereit (PolyGram (Pt)/Verve, 1999) * ''Chorinho Feliz'' with Mário Laginha (Universal (Pt)/Verve, 2000) * ''Mumadji'' with Mário Laginha, Toninho Ferragutti and

Helge Norbakken Helge Andreas Norbakken (born 1965) is a Norwegian drummer known for his collaborations with Mari Boine, Jon Balke (MNO/Bathagraf/Siwan), Kari Bremnes, Maria Joao, Karl Seglem, Becaye Aw, Miki N'Doye, Jovan Pavlovic, and Anne Wylie. He is mar ...

as Mumadji (EmArcy, 2001) * ''Undercovers'' with Mário Laginha (Universal (Pt)/Verve, 2002) * ''Tralha'' (2004) * ''Pele'' with José Peixoto (Zona Música (Pt), 2006) * ''João'' (Universal (Pt), 2007), also released with additional DVD * ''Chocolate'' (2008) * ''Follow the Songlines'' with

Diederik Wissels Diederik Wissels (born December 1960, in Rotterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch jazz pianist. In 1968, he moved to Brussels, Belgium and later attended Boston's Berklee College of Music. In his early career, he played with Chet Baker, Joe Henderson ...

, Mário Laginha (

Naïve Naivety (also spelled naïvety), naiveness, or naïveté is the state of being naive. It refers to an apparent or actual lack of experience and sophistication, often describing a neglect of pragmatism in favor of moral idealism. A ''naïve'' may b ...

, 2010) * ''Amoras e Framboesas'' (2011) * ''A Different Porgy & Another Bess'' (2012) * ''Electrodoméstico'' (2012) * ''Iridescente'' (2012) * ''Plástico'' with Ogre (Espuma Preta (Pt), 2015) * ''Mar Afora'' with Guinga (Acoustic Music (G), 2015) * ''Studio Konzert'' with Ogre (Neuklang (G), 2017) * ''A Poesia de Aldir Blanc'' (Selo Sesc (Br), 2017) * ''The Blues Experience'' with Budda Power Blues (Mobydick (Pt), 2017) * ''Agora Muda Tudo (Now Everything Changes)'' with Nuno Côrte-Real,

José Luís Peixoto José Luís Marques Peixoto (; born September 4, 1974) is a Portuguese author, poet and playwright. A professional writer since 2001, his works have been translated into more than 30 languages. Biography José Luis Peixoto was born in the villa ...

, Ensemble Darcos (Odradek (Cz), 2018) * ''Open Your Mouth'' with Ogre Electric (2020)

Compilations

* ''Pensa Nisto!'' (1996) – Fidjo Magoado * ''Etnocity/ Underground Sound of Lisbon'' (2000) – Saris e Capolanas (Remix) (MJML) * ''Movimentos Perpétuos'' (2003)– Mãos na Parede (MJML)

As featured vocalist

* ''ABBAcadabra'' (1984) * Júlio Pereira (1990) * LX-90 – ''Uma Revolução Por Minuto/One Revolution Per Minute'' (

BMG Ariola Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerat ...

(Pt), 1992) * NDR Bigband – ''Bravissimo II - 50 Years'' ( ACT, 1998) with João on one track recorded 1993 * Júlio Pereira – ''Tarde Quente'' (1994) * Laurent Filipe – ''Ad lib(itum) Vol. 1'' (Movieplay (Pt), 1995) * ''Bom dia Benjamim'', children's musical audiobook (Movieplay (Pt), 1995) *

António Pinho Vargas António Pinho Vargas (born Vila Nova de Gaia, August 15, 1951) is a Portuguese composer and pianist specializing in jazz and contemporary music. He has also written books, essays, and articles on music. Career Having obtained a degree in history ...

with Maria João & José Nogueira – ''A Luz e a Escuridão'' (EMI (Pt), 1996) *

Carlos Bica Carlos Bica is a Portuguese jazz bassist. Career Bica studied at the Academia dos Amadores de Musica in Lisbon and the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg. He was "Musician of the Year" in Portugal in 1998 and in 2016. For his album ''Matéria- ...

, Frank Möbus,

Jim Black Jim Black is an American jazz drummer who has performed with Tim Berne and Dave Douglas. He attended Berklee College of Music. Career His band AlasNoAxis includes Hilmar Jensson on electric guitar, Chris Speed on tenor saxophone and clarine ...

– ''Azul'' (EmArcy, 1996) * Cantigas de Amigos – ''São Macaio/A Garrafa'' (1998) *

Clã Clã is a Portuguese pop rock band of a mixed nature in terms of style, ranging from moments of pure balladry, through jazzy details, to enthusiastic pop songs. Biography The band was formed in November 1992 in the city of Porto, consisting of ...

- ''Pois'' (1998) *

Dulce Pontes Dulce José Silva Pontes (; born 8 April 1969) is a Portuguese songwriter and singer who performs in many musical styles, including pop, folk, and classical music. She is usually defined as a world music artist. Her songs contributed to the 1990s ...

– ''Modinha das Saias'' (1999) * Bana (1999) *

Jorge Palma Jorge Manuel de Abreu Palma (born 4 June 1950) is a Portuguese singer and songwriter. A well-known and acclaimed songwriter in Portugal, Palma has achieved success with songs such as "Deixa-me Rir", "Frágil" and "Encosta-te a Mim". Early lif ...

– ''Acto Contínuo'' (Mercury/Universal (Pt), 2001) *

– ''Faces & Places'' (ESC, 2002), João on one track * Carinhoso – ''Ingénuo'' (2002) *

Simentera Simentera were a Capeverdean band or a music group performing traditional and world music and was one of the most famous groups in Cape Verde. History The band was founded in 1992. Two years after the foundation, they appeared at the 1994 Sfink ...

– ''Lua Cheia'' (2003) * Pirilampo Mágico (with

Mariza Marisa dos Reis Nunes ComIH (born 16 December 1973), known professionally as Mariza (), is a Portuguese fado singer. Mariza was born in Lourenço Marques, Portuguese Mozambique, to a Portuguese father, José Brandão Nunes, and a Mozambican mo ...

Teresa Salgueiro Maria Teresa de Almeida Salgueiro OIH () is a Portuguese singer. She is best known as the lead singer of Madredeus from 1987 until 2007. She also appeared in Wim Wenders' film '' Lisbon Story.'' Career Salgueiro joined Madredeus after other m ...

) – ''Faz a Magia Voar'' (2003) * DEP – ''Esquece Tudo O Que Aprendeste'' (Universal (Pt)/EmArcy, 2004) * Danças Ocultas (2004) * Saxofour – ''European Christmas'' (EmArcy, 2004) * Saxofour – ''Cinco'' (EmArcy, 2005) *

– ''Obrigado'' (EMI, 2005), João on two tracks *

Blasted Mechanism Blasted Mechanism or simply, Blasted is a Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portugue ...

– ''Avatara'' (2005), João on one track *

– ''Vivo'' (EMI (Pt), 2005), João on one track * D'Herbe Foundation – ''Inner Face'' (Free (Pt), 2006), João on two tracks * Lucía Martínez Cuarteto – Soños e Delirios (Nuba (Es), 2008), João on one track *

Jan Gunnar Hoff Jan Gunnar Hoff (born 22 October 1958) is a Norwegian jazz pianist, composer, arranger and professor, living in Bodø, known from cooperations with jazz musicians like Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Alex Acuña, Audun Kleive, Mathias Eick, John Surman, ...

– ''Magma'' (Grappa (Nw), 2008) * Vera e os Seus Amigos – ''Papagaio Fofoca'' (2008) * Ogre – ''Electrodoméstico'' (JACC (Pt), 2012), João on one track * Guinga – ''Porto da Madama'' with

Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Award, and a Soul Train Music Award. A native of Portland, Oregon, Spalding be ...

, Maria Pia e Vito and Mônica Salmaso (Selo Sesc (Br), 2015)

References

External links

Official websiteMaria João e Mário Laginha Performing LiveMaria João Fan Club WebsiteMaria João Interview at allaboutjazz.com
1956 births 20th-century Portuguese women singers Living people Singers from Lisbon The Zawinul Syndicate members 21st-century Portuguese women singers {{Jazz-singer-stub