1. A Brazilian MPB singer and s… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists who use this name:
1. A Brazilian MPB singer and songwriter
2. A Grammy-nominated American jazz singer
1. Maysa Figueira Monjardim Matarazzo (June 6, 1936, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – January 22, 1977, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), better known as Maysa Matarazzo or simply Maysa, was a Brazilian singer, songwriter and actress, being one of the first female songwriters of Brazil and one of the precursors of the genre samba-canção. She had great success in the 1950s and 1960s, known especially for her pessimistic, hopeless, melancholic and dramatic lyrics and interpretations, very characteristic of her image and career. She is also associated with bossa nova music, but is widely known as a torch song (música de fossa) interpreter.
Maysa's grandfather was Alfeu Adolfo Monjardim de Andrade e Almeida, the 1st Baron of Monjardim, and wife Laurinda Luísa Pinto Pereira. Maysa showed talent at a young age and by twelve had written a samba song, which later became a hit from her first album. She married André Matarazzo Filho, a member of a wealthy and traditional São Paulo family in 1954 at the age of 18 and two years later had a son, Jayme Monjardim. Jayme would later be known as a television director. In the late 1950s she formed a successful bossa nova group and also did television work relying on her magnificent pair of gorgeous green eyes.
Her tour to Buenos Aires first projected bossa nova beyond Brazil's borders but was not without controversy. The tour was a great success and extended to Chile and Uruguay, but Maysa had an affair with the show's producer, Ronaldo Bôscoli, a journalist and composer linked romantically to bossa nova's muse Nara Leão. This led not only to a break between Nara and Ronaldo, but also to a fracture in the bossa nova movement. Nara supported Carlos Lyra's nationalist vertent of the bossa nova movement, to the detriment of Boscoli's more orthodox approach, emphasizing form rather than content in bossa nova compositions. Nara also began courting older composers of traditional sambas, such as morro composers Zé Kéti and Cartola. She also became an idol of the protest song genre against the military dictatorship in Brazil. Nara's pocket show "Opinião" marked the start of a series of protest musical shows, which both in Rio and São Paulo distracted the public from the main themes of "the love, the smile and the flower", typical of the bossa nova years. So Maysa became "persona non grata" both to the bossa-novistas and the protest singers and her career faltered. She reacted by marrying Spaniard music producer Miguel Anzana, with whom she moved to Spain and began a series of presentations not only in Spain, but also Portugal, Italy and France.
Her personal life, already tumultuous, became even more chaotic leading to her being called "the Janis Joplin of Bossa Nova". But she later made a come back with one of the first notable shows in Rio's "Canecão" venue, the equivalent of Carnegie Hall in NYC. Maysa also played the Olympia in Paris to a full house twice and enjoyed considerable success in Europe. She is still considered the best Brazilian "torch song" (fossa) musician, rivaled only perhaps by Nora Ney as interpreter and Dolores Duran as composer. Upon her return to Brazil, Maysa continued to blend her old unique "broken love affair" trademarks with the more current festival style and occasional bossa nova hits. In the 1970s Maysa tapped her actress side and acted on a few telenovelas in Brazil. She also composed the soundtrack for a Rede Globo telenova just as the TV network became the powerhouse of Brazilian soap operas. She appeared more in peace with herself in latter years but died in a car crash in 1977, on the Rio-Niterói bridge, which connects the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niterói over the Guanabara Bay.
In January 2009, 32 years after her death, a miniseries about her life was broadcast on Brazilian television and spanned two new books about one of Brazil's most charismatic divas. Maysa's style influenced the following generations of Brazilian female singers and composers, with great ascendancy in the works of Angela Ro Ro, Simone, Cazuza, Leila Pinheiro and Fafá de Belém.
2. Maysa Leak (born August 17, 1966) is an American jazz singer better known by her mononym Maysa. She is well known by fans of smooth jazz both for her solo work and for her work with the British band Incognito.
After receiving her degree from Morgan State University, Maysa headed to Southern California to perform with Stevie Wonder’s female backup group Wonderlove, While with Wonder, Maysa was a vocalist on the Jungle Fever soundtrack and performed on numerous television shows including The Arsenio Hall Show, Oprah and The Tonight Show.
It was during an over-the-telephone audition in the early 90s, that Maysa become a member of the acclaimed British jazz/funk/R&B band Incognito and in 1992 she relocated to London and recorded Tribes, Vibes & Scribes, featuring the hit single "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing." Since then, Maysa has appeared on over seven Incognito recordings.
Maysa recorded her self-titled debut in 1995, followed by her second album All My Life in 2000, Out of The Blue in 2002, Smooth Sailing in 2004, Sweet Classic Soul in 2006, and now Feel The Fire, 2007. In 2008, Metamorphosis peaked at No.1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz top 100 chart and no.13 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In 2010, "A Woman in Love", Maysa 8th Solo cd debuted at No.1 on the Contemporary Jazz Charts. Maysa's 9th solo album,Motions of Love, released in November 2011, debuted at No. 1 on Billboards Contemporary Jazz Charts and Number 7 on the R&B charts.
Maysa has also collaborated with well-known jazz performers like Gerald Veasley, Rick Braun, Will Downing, Jason Miles' Soul Summit, Rhythm Logic, Jonathan Butler and Pieces of a Dream.
In 2009, Maysa won the very first new Soul Train Award named for the brand's new owners, CENTRIC. The Cenric Award : Soul Approved /Underground.
Maysa Leak was a spokesperson for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a disease that can be fatal to premature babies. She appears in RSV PSA commercials, with her son Jazz, sponsored for the March of Dimes.
In 2013, Maysa received her first Grammy nomination in the "Best Traditional R&B Performance" award category for the song "Quiet Fire" from her album Blue Velvet Soul.
Family Affair
Maysa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One child grows up to be
Somebody that just loves to learn
Another child grows up to be
Somebody you'd just love to burn
Mom loves the both of them
Both kids are good to mom
Blood's thicker than the mud
It's family affair
It's a family affair
Newlywed a year ago
But you're still checking each other out
Nobody wants to blow
Nobody wants to be left out
You can't leave 'cause your heart is there
But you can't stay 'cause you been somewhere else
You can't cry 'cause you'll look broke down
But you're cryin' anyway 'cause you're all broke down
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
It's a family affair
Maysa’s song “Family Affair” is a soulful, introspective take on the complexities of family relationships. The lyrics explore the idea that family is both a source of deep love and loyalty, as well as tension and conflict. The first verse sets up the dichotomy between two siblings who have grown up to be vastly different people: one who loves to learn and the other who is difficult to tolerate. Despite this, the mother loves them both equally – a testament to the unconditional love that family members have for one another.
The chorus is a powerful reminder that, regardless of the individual struggles and fractures that inevitably arise within a family, it remains a deeply ingrained connection. The second verse is dedicated to the dynamics of marriage, expanding on the themes of loyalty and separation. The couple is still in the early stages of their relationship, but already they are struggling to reconcile the fact that their hearts are in different places. Despite the pain and tension, however, they remain committed to one another because of a shared history and connection.
Overall, “Family Affair” is a poignant exploration of the complexities of familial relationships. It highlights both the beauty and the pain of these connections, and reminds listeners that they are always rooted in a profound sense of love and loyalty.
Line by Line Meaning
It's family affair
This song is about a family and all of the complicated dynamics that come with it.
One child grows up to be, Somebody that just loves to learn
One of the children in the family grows up to be a person who enjoys education and has a love for learning.
Another child grows up to be, Somebody you'd just love to burn
Another child in the family grows up to be a person who others might be spiteful towards or want to hurt in some way.
Mom loves the both of them, You see it's in the blood
The mother of these two children loves them both deeply, and this love is an innate part of their family connection.
Both kids are good to mom, Blood's thicker than the mud
Despite any differences they may have, both children respect and care for their mother, and this bond is stronger than any external conflicts or struggles they may face.
Newlywed a year ago, But you're still checking each other out
This lyric refers to a recent marriage, where both partners are still trying to get to know each other and understand their new relationship dynamic.
Nobody wants to blow, Nobody wants to be left out
Both partners in this relationship want to avoid causing any issues or conflicts that could lead to someone feeling left out or hurt.
You can't leave 'cause your heart is there, But you can't stay 'cause you been somewhere else
Someone in this song is struggling to stay in a relationship because of conflicting feelings about where they want to be or what they truly want out of life.
You can't cry 'cause you'll look broke down, But you're cryin' anyway 'cause you're all broke down
Despite wanting to avoid appearing weak or vulnerable, someone in this song is clearly experiencing a lot of emotional pain or distress.
It's a family affair
Once again, the focus of the song returns to the idea that family can be incredibly complicated and messy, yet ultimately we are all connected in some way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sylvester Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@seedsowersofisrael.4660
Still Love it.
@carolynsells5157
Now that's grown folks music! Nice!
@musicmugger666
I've loved Maysa's voice always, she was a fantastic addition to Incognito, and she has such a distinctive voice, regardless to whether it's soul or jazz, she still makes it happen. This lady is an Album maker. Three versions of this all shine, Sly, original, Calloway from their great Let's get smooth album, and now Maysa. Three different aproaches, all great
@georgetomkinson2564
great version of this track original by Sly & the family stone Maysa u do it justice why so few hits.
@eltonbrand6038
The Truth