When the gymnasium where she worked as a swimming teacher closed, a friend suggested that she attend the Hot Club of Lisbon Jazz School. Maria João knew nothing about jazz but she decided to go to an audition at the Hot Club out of curiosity.
Despite having no musical background, and no knowledge of written music, Maria João's audition was successful and from then on she began to learn how to sing.
In 1983 João learnt to "listen" and progressed rapidly. She sang songs by Billie Holiday, Elis Regina, Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter.
She soon began performing with a band of her own. Her debut was at the opening of a restaurant where she forgot everything she had rehearsed and had toimprovise.
The gig was a huge success, and her career began to take off. She recorded a record with Jorge Palma before going on to work on solo projects.
In 1984 she became the presenter of the Portuguese Television Jazz Show, thanks to which she was given the "Revelation of the Year" award. In 1985 she performed at the Cascais Jazz Festival and to great acclaim.
She then recorded her first albums, Quinteto Maria João e Cem Caminhos, and went on to tour Germany, where one of the concerts was broadcast on radio and television. After winning 1st prize at the San Sebastian Jazz Festival, completing a European tour and receiving "Nova Gente" award for best female artist of the year she recorded her third album, Conversa (1986).
In the same year she was "discovered" by free-jazz pianist Aki Takase who invited her to sing with her. Their musical relationship lasted five years. They toured Europe regularly, often supported by bass player Niels Henning Orsted-Pedersen. They released two live albums Looking for Love and Alice, recorded at the festivals of Leverkusen (1987) and Nuremberg (1990). After giving birth to her son, João Carlos, she decided to get involved with different projects and different people.
In 1991 she released the album Sol with the band Cal Viva, featuring renowned musicians such as José Peixoto, Carlos Bica and Mário Laginha. On this album Maria João mixes Jazz with traditional Portuguese music. With the release of the record she toured again with Cal Viva. In 1992 she worked with Lauren Newton and with Christof Lauer, Bobo Stenson and Mário Laginha.
Finally, in 1994 she signed a contract with the prestigious jazz label Verve. In that same year she released another great album, Danças, featuring her loyal and long-time music companion and friend Mário Laginha. This one was produced by German brothers Reinhard and Wolf-Dieter Karwatky (who produced all of Maria João's Verve records). In 1995 she was the guest singer on an album by António Pinho Vargas also featuring saxophonist José Nogueira.
Two years after Danças, she released her second Verve album, Fábula, featuring Ralph Towner, Dino Saluzzi, Manu Katché and Mário Laginha amongst others.
In 1998 Maria João and Mário Laginha released the album Cor, commissioned to mark the commemoration of 500 years since the arrival of Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama in India. The album was inspired by and dedicated to the Indic cultures, especially those of India and Mozambique (where Maria João has roots).
The album featured Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu and guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel. The artists involved performed a series of concerts at Expo98 in Lisbon and were again acclaimed by critics and audiences. In November 1999 they released the record Lobos, Raposas e Coiotes, recorded with the Radio-Philharmonic Orchestra of Hanover. This is considered by many to be their best record so far.
2000 saw the release of another album for Maria João. Chorinho Feliz was commissioned to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the "Discovery" of Brazil. The recording features Brazilian singers Gilberto Gil and Lenine and other artists including Helge A. Norbakken, Toninho Ferragutti and Nico Assumpção.
In 2001, Maria João, Mário Laginha, Helge Norbakken and Toninho Ferragutti formed the Mumadji quartet. Mumadji means "Portuguese-European" in Xangana, a language from Mozambique. The group recently released a live album.
(this is a copy from http://mariajoao.oninet.pt/english/bio.html, 2007-10-26)
Rosa
Maria João Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Estátua majestosa do amor
Por Deus esculturada
E formada com ardor
Da alma da mais linda flor
De mais ativo olor
Que na vida é preferida pelo beija-flor
Se Deus me fora tão clemente
Formada numa tela deslumbrante e bela
Teu coração junto ao meu lanceado
Pregado e crucificado sobre a rósea cruz
Do arfante peito seu
Tu és a forma ideal
Estátua magistral oh alma perenal
Do meu primeiro amor, sublime amor
Tu és de Deus a soberana flor
Tu és de Deus a criação
Que em todo coração sepultas um amor
O riso, a fé, a dor
Em sândalos olentes cheios de sabor
Em vozes tão dolentes como um sonho em flor
És láctea estrela
És mãe da realeza
És tudo enfim que tem de belo
Em todo resplendor da santa natureza
Perdão, se ouso confessar-te
Eu hei de sempre amar-te
Oh flor meu peito não resiste
Oh meu Deus o quanto é triste
A incerteza de um amor
Que mais me faz penar em esperar
Em conduzir-te um dia
Ao pé do altar
Jurar, aos pés do onipotente
Em preces comoventes de dor
E receber a unção da tua gratidão
Depois de remir meus desejos
Em nuvens de beijos
Hei de envolver-te até meu padecer
De todo fenecer
The lyrics to Maria João's song "Rosa" are a beautiful tribute to love and the object of the singer's affection. The opening lines describe this person as divine and graceful, a majestic statue of love that was sculpted and formed with passion by God. The singer continues to describe her beloved as a beautiful flower with an alluring scent that is preferred by hummingbirds. The singer then laments that if only God was merciful enough to bring this person into her life in a beautiful and vibrant setting, where their hearts could be united and crucified together on the rose-colored cross of their ardent and aching chests. The person described is the ideal figure, a masterful statue that represents the singer's everlasting soul and her first, most sublime love.
Throughout the song, the person is compared to the most beautiful creations of nature, from the sweet scent of sandalwood to the most precious jewels of the sky. The person is the mother of royalty and everything beautiful in the world, embodying all the splendor of nature itself. The singer professes her love and devotion to this person, asking for forgiveness for her bold confession but vowing to always love her. The uncertainty and pain of waiting for the chance to stand together at the altar and profess their love to God in prayer is a torment that the singer is willing to endure, as long as she can remain wrapped in the clouds of kisses and love that envelop the person she so deeply adores.
Line by Line Meaning
Tu és, divina e graciosa
You are divine and graceful
Estátua majestosa do amor
Majestic statue of love
Por Deus esculturada
Sculpted by God
E formada com ardor
And formed with ardor
Da alma da mais linda flor
From the soul of the most beautiful flower
De mais ativo olor
Of the most active scent
Que na vida é preferida pelo beija-flor
Which in life is preferred by the hummingbird
Se Deus me fora tão clemente
If God had been so merciful to me
Aqui nesse ambiente de luz
Here in this environment of light
Formada numa tela deslumbrante e bela
Formed on a dazzling and beautiful canvas
Teu coração junto ao meu lanceado
Your heart pierced alongside mine
Pregado e crucificado sobre a rósea cruz
Nailed and crucified on the pink cross
Do arfante peito seu
Of your heaving chest
Tu és a forma ideal
You are the ideal form
Estátua magistral oh alma perenal
Magisterial statue, oh perennial soul
Do meu primeiro amor, sublime amor
Of my first love, sublime love
Tu és de Deus a soberana flor
You are God's sovereign flower
Tu és de Deus a criação
You are God's creation
Que em todo coração sepultas um amor
That buries a love in every heart
O riso, a fé, a dor
Laughter, faith, pain
Em sândalos olentes cheios de sabor
In fragrant sandals full of flavor
Em vozes tão dolentes como um sonho em flor
In voices as sad as a dream in bloom
És láctea estrela
You are a milky star
És mãe da realeza
You are the mother of royalty
És tudo enfim que tem de belo
You are everything that is beautiful
Em todo resplendor da santa natureza
In all the splendor of holy nature
Perdão, se ouso confessar-te
Forgive me, if I dare to confess to you
Eu hei de sempre amar-te
I will always love you
Oh flor meu peito não resiste
Oh flower, my heart cannot resist
Oh meu Deus o quanto é triste
Oh my God, how sad it is
A incerteza de um amor
The uncertainty of a love
Que mais me faz penar em esperar
Which makes me suffer more by waiting
Em conduzir-te um dia
To lead you one day
Ao pé do altar
To the altar
Jurar, aos pés do onipotente
To swear, at the feet of the Almighty
Em preces comoventes de dor
In moving prayers of pain
E receber a unção da tua gratidão
And receive the anointing of your gratitude
Depois de remir meus desejos
After redeeming my desires
Em nuvens de beijos
In clouds of kisses
Hei de envolver-te até meu padecer
I will surround you until my suffering ceases
De todo fenecer
From completely vanishing
Contributed by Jason W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.