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MARIA RITA - London will welcome the most critically-acclaimed female singer in Brazil

Music wasn’t your first career choice, was it? How did you wind up becoming a singer?

No it wasn’t, I studied outside of Brasil and I never believed that I really had a good voice. I think that, growing up in a family of musicians, I was more critical about my own talent. With time I matured and decided to dedicate myself to singing. Today I can’t live without music. It was worth taking the time to make the right choice.

What can the British public expectfrom your new album?

Authentic samba (she laughs). Of course I haven’t abandoned my roots, which are acoustic bass, piano and drums. But there’s a lot of percussion and a special way of interpreting the lyrics. In samba, the melody is different, the way you pronounce the words... It was all a natural process, samba showed me the way. The other day I was singing alongside Beth Carvalho (a traditional singer of Brasilian samba) and she said that yet another singer had been won over by samba (laughs). I feel good singing samba.

And what’s the difference between this your third album and the others you’ve released previously? Do you feel a different person and a diferent singer?

I’ve a lot more responsibility. I feel different now; I’m more sure of myself, more mature. There’s less of a margin for error. I’m 30 this year and I think that this makes a woman take herself more seriously.

Are you a samba singer now?

To be honest, I’m a musician; I just want to sing (laughs). I don’t have a style; I prefer not to place myself in any categories. I’m not a sambista. I’m just venturing into this vast new musical universe that requires time and dedication.

And when you were producing the album, chosing your repertoire, did you listen to a lot of samba?

Yes, I listened to everything by Fundo de Quintal, Arlindo, Paulinho da Viola, Chico Buarque, Dona Ivone. My iPod’s full of samba. Curiously I don’t really listen to MPB, although I perform it. People criticise me for saying this. But I think that MPB (even though its definition is “Popular Brasilian Music”) is very elitist, it’s still made for a select few. I want to make music for the masses.

How did your three-year-old son get to participate on “Cria”?

At first I didn’t want to expose him, I thought he was too young. But it was a beautiful surprise. João’s great. Your earlier albums featured more jazz and MPB, and your image was more low-key and discrete. On Samba Meu, not only has your musical style changed, but you’re also showcasing a new, sexier image.

Was this a professional or a personal choice?

The image has to fit into the context, and I didn’t want to draw attention away from my voice. It was just lights and music. Today, I feel lighter; I want to put an end to that melancholic image. I’m very happy at the moment. Motherhood has changed me. As for whether this was a personal or a professional choice or not, I don’t plan my career in this way. I’m more instinctive. If you ask me what my next step will be, I’d have to say that I don’t have a clue.

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Maria Rita
Live for the 1st time in London

Sat 28th June
Barbican
www.barbican.org.uk (reduced booking fee online)
Box office: 020 7638 8891