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.
Simple Life
Maysa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm just the way I got to be
Take me slowly, or else you may come by injury
I'll hurt you emotionally
Rock me baby, until my eyes are closed and I'm asleep
And then it's it for you to leave.
Call me lazy, for I have yet to let my soul free
I just wanted to unfold
Simply simple
I do everything I'm told
Keep it simple
You want babies, well here I am so why not aren't you pleased
With a big baby like me
I throw a fit, and to pick up after it
Domesticated bliss
I just wanted to unfold
Simply simple
I do everything I'm told
Keep it simple
Simple simple
(Yeah yeah)
I do everything I'm told
I just wanted to unfold
Simply simple
In Maysa's song "Simple Life", she is describing herself as imperfect and not the way she ought to be. She is warning her potential lover to take things slow with her or else he may get hurt. She pleads for him to "rock her" until she falls asleep and then leave without any expectations. She admits to being lazy and not yet letting her soul free, but it’s still within her reach. Maysa's desire is to simplify her life and unfolds herself in a simple way. She emphasizes the need to keep things simple and to do everything she is told.
The lyrics to "Simple Life" resonate with many people who have experienced difficult relationships or finding it hard balancing their professional and personal life. Maysa’s lyrics convey a message of vulnerability and honesty, which is often lacking in today's society. She openly admits her shortcomings and encourages others to do the same. The song emphasizes the need to take things slowly, appreciate each other's company, and enjoy the simple things in life. Ultimately, "Simple Life" is a reminder that life can become more manageable once we strip away the unnecessary complications.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me lightly, I am not the way I ought to be
I am not perfect and I have flaws, so please don't judge me too harshly.
I'm just the way I got to be
I am who I am because of my experiences and circumstances, not by choice.
Take me slowly, or else you may come by injury
If you don't approach me with care and patience, you may get hurt emotionally.
I'll hurt you emotionally
I have the potential to cause emotional pain if you don't treat me gently.
Rock me baby, until my eyes are closed and I'm asleep
Comfort and soothe me until I feel safe enough to fall asleep.
And then it's it for you to leave.
Once you've provided me with the comfort I need, you can go on your way.
Call me lazy, for I have yet to let my soul free
I may seem idle, but in reality, I'm taking the time to explore my inner self.
It's still very much in my reach, oh
I still have the potential to realize my goals and dreams.
You want babies, well here I am so why not aren't you pleased
I'm willing and able to fulfill your desire for a family, so why aren't you satisfied with me?
With a big baby like me
I may be mature and responsible in some ways, but I still have a childlike spirit.
I throw a fit, and to pick up after it
I may have emotional outbursts and make a mess, but I'm worth the effort of caring for.
Domesticated bliss
Living a simple life full of love and comfort, taking pleasure in everyday tasks.
I just wanted to unfold
I simply wanted to be myself and let my true nature show.
Simply simple
I want a life that is uncomplicated and unburdened by unnecessary complexities.
I do everything I'm told
I am willing to follow instructions and obey others.
Keep it simple
I believe that a simple life is a happy life, and I want to avoid unnecessary complications.
Simple simple
I'm not asking for much, just a life that is peaceful, easy, and fulfilling.
(Yeah yeah)
An expression of affirmation or agreement with the preceding statement.
I just wanted to unfold
I simply wanted to be my authentic self and express my true desires.
Simply simple
I want my life to be uncomplicated and free of unnecessary stress or drama.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD J.P. TAUPIN, BERNIE TAUPIN, ELTON JOHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind