Maria de Barros
Maria de Barros
Dacar, Senegal, 1961
Singer, songwriter
Maria de Barros, descendant of parents from Brava, was born in Senegal, spent her childhood in Mauritania, where she went at six months old, and at the age of 13 she left for the USA with her family, and has lived there ever since. “When I arrived in the USA and found that whole musical environment, it amazed me, and it has a lot to do with my love for music. I arrived singing with my grandfather”, recalls the singer (Cabo Verde & a Música-Dicionário de Personagens) who is the grandchild of the violinist, Djedjinho. She recorded two of his compositions on her first album, Nha Mundo.
At the age of 20, Maria de Barros participated in the first album of Mendes Brothers, in a duet with João Mendes; sang twice with Norberto Tavares and Tropical Power; participated in the recording of the LP Paz, Amor e União, produced by Paulino Vieira; integrated the Jamm Band for some time. She left the group in 1988 when she got married and moved to Los Angeles. “Then Cape Verdean music stayed behind because there was nothing Cape Verdean where I was”, she reveals.
In Los Angeles, she forms a folk group with her husband and other American musicians. Then, in contact with Hispanic friends she starts singing in Spanish – “It was the closest thing to Cape Verde for me. I even did shows singing in Spanish with playback”, she tells. When she met the Argentinian producer Daniel Luchansky, she records some music in Spanish, but it was him that encouraged her to record Cape Verdean music.
“I showed those recordings to Cesária Évora and she said: ‘Ah, you can’t keep doing things in Spanish, you have to make an album for your homeland!’”, she told Cabo Verde & a Música – Dicionário de Personagens.
Among the distinctions she has obtained throughout her career, is, in June of 2004, being nominated by Essence Magazine, a magazine for the African American female audience as “Face of World Music”. In 2006 she received the Miriam Makeba of Musical Excellence, awarded by a DJ in the field of African music in the USA. In 2010, the album Morabeza was among those nominated in the “best world music album” category at the NAACP Image Awards, who distinguishes every year since the 1970s, Afro-Americans who stand out in cinema, television and music. In 2013 she received the Special Francophonie Award for promoting the French culture through music.
In Cape Verde, where she performed for the first time in 2005, she was awarded in 2008 a merit medal from the Ministry of Culture. In 2011 was nominated for four categories at the Cabo Verde Music Awards (CVMA), and her recording of “Reggadera” won “best koladera” of the year. This composition (by Maria de Barros, Djim Djob, Kalú Monteiro and Danny Luchansky) was part of the Entourage series at HBO television network.
In 2006, Maria de Barros served as host of the Soul of Africa program on the Black Entertainment Television channel (BET). In 2018 she was supporting actress, performing in Portuguese and Cape Verdean, the theme “Do Outro Lado”, from the short Skin Hunger, directed by Kristina Rodemann, with several awards and nominations.
The singer has her recordings included in several compilations, including Putumayo, Starbucks, Rough Guide, Soundscapes, Ultra Records and Capo Verde terra d’amore, Vol. 4, and also on a tribute album to Miles Davis.
Discography
- Nha mundo, CD, TerreMar Musica, EUA l/d, 2003.
- Dança ma mi, CD, TerreMar Musica, EUA l/d, 2005.
- Morabeza, CD, Sheer Sound Records, África do Sul l/d, 2009.
- Participação na compilação Putumayo World Music reggae, 2004, com “Riberonzinha”.
- Participação na compilação Putumayo presents: Women of Africa, 2004, com “Mi nada um ca tem”.
- Participação no CD coletivo Miles to Miles: In the Spirit of Miles Davis, 2005.
