www.zawinulfans.org ![]()
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IMPORTANT NOTICE
Maria
Joao
Maria
João (voice) was born in Lisbon, Portugal. She
started her musical life in 1982, in the Jazz School of the
Hot Club, in Lisbon, and joined the Big Band of the school
in April. In the summer of the same year she began singing
with her own band. During 1983 and 1984 she worked in
Portugal with the Quinteto Maria Joao, and in the Portuguese
TV. The breakthrough on the Portuguese music scene was in
the International Jazz Festival of Cascais in 1984, when
audience and critics alike praised Maria Joao for her
outstanding performance. A promotion tour through West
Germany in April and May 1985, included a radio concert as
well as a TV production with German TV - ZDF. In July she
won the first prize for the best group at the competition at
the International Jazz Festival of San Sebastian. Concerts
in Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Holland, Austria, Germany and
Switzerland followed. In 1987 Maria João began to
work with the German saxophone player Christof Lauer, in
April she started to sing with the Japanese piano player Aki
Takase. In 1989 the Duo played several Festivals with Nils
Henning Örsted-Pedersen and Miroslav Vitous, she also
began her colaboration with David Friedman and Charlie
Mariano. With "Cal Viva" Maria João presents a
complete band from Portugal on her tour in November '91
which is based more than her other projects in the
traditional music of Portugal. With this band she published
a new CD on Enja Records during the fall '91. Since 1992
Maria João also worked with Lauren Newton (Tage neuer
Musik Essen 1991 / Big Band Meeting München 1992) and
in Trio with Christof Lauer and the piano players Bobo
Stenson and Mario Laginha (Jazzfestivals Madrid, Ansbach,
Delmenhorst, Vocaltage Graz all 1992). She was invited guest
during the Olympic games in Barcelona in August 1992. In
April '94 she did an important concert during the Festival
in Lisbon with Trilok Gurtu, Christof Lauer and Mario
Laginha which was recorded by the Portugues Television. In
the fall (1994) she signed a five-years-contract for the
Label Verve. Her Duo record with Mario Laginha for that
label under the title Danças was out worldwide April
'95, her second album is recorded during the fall 95 with
Dino Saluzzi, Manu Katché, Ralph Towner and her
steady partner Mario Laginha (out spring '96). As a result
of all, Maria João and Mario Laginha played the
International Festivals of Montreux, Den Hague, Malaga and
Leipzig in 1995. New Verve recording called Fabula in
summer '96 with Dino Saluzzi, Ralph Towner, Manu
Katché, Kai Eckhardt, Mario Laginha a.o, which was
presented during the Festivals of Berlin, Rome, Leverkusen,
Lisbon, Strasbourg in November '96. Biography courtesy of
Uli Fild Concertbüro. DISCOGRAPHY
1983
- Quinteto de Maria João - RT
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