Maria Rita is the debut album by Brazilian singer Maria Rita, released in 2003 by Warner Music Group. The album won the Latin Grammy Award for Best MPB Album.
Background The album was the debut work by Brazilian singer Maria Rita, the daughter of singer Elis Regina and arranger César Camargo Mariano. The singer served as the album's producer, in addition to production by Tom Capone and . After working on Milton Nascimento's album Pietá, Maria Rita is the artist's first solo album. The album features songs written by Milton Nascimento, Rita Lee, Marcelo Camelo, Zélia Duncan, Cláudio Lins, and Lenine.
Tracklist
Release The album was released on CD in 2003, with a release concert at the Mistura Fina nightclub, located in Jardim Botânico, in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro. The album sold more than 1 million copies in the country and was certified triple platinum. The song Encontro e Despedidas became the theme song for the soap opera Senhora do Destino, aired on TV Globo, written by Aguinaldo Silva and starring Susana Vieira and Renata Sorrah.
In 2024, NRC Records released a vinyl version of the album.
Reception
Critical Journalist and music critic wrote a positive review of the singer's album in his column to Jornal do Brasil newspaper, calling it “a more than promising debut” and praising the artist's musical DNA.
Journalist , writing for the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper, praised the album and noted that “Many children of more or less famous singers follow this path. The result, more often than not, is embarrassing or irrelevant. That is not the case here. Not only because Elis is, without a doubt, the Pelé of Brazilian female singers, but also because Maria Rita really can sing, and very well.”
Prizes The album was nominated for the 2004 Multishow Brazilian Music Awards, organized by the Multishow network. In the Best CD category, the album was nominated but lost to Marcelo D2’s . She was also nominated for a Latin Grammy in the Best MPB Album category, where she took home the award. +YearPrizeCategoryVenueResultRef.2004Multishow Brazilian Music AwardsBest CDTheatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 2004Latin Grammy AwardsBest MPB albumShrine Auditorium and Expo Hall, Los Angeles, Nevada,
Legacy In a poll conducted in May 2022, the album ranked 318th on a list of the 500 best Brazilian albums, according to a survey of more than 160 music experts conducted by the podcast. It was the only album by Maria Rita to be mentioned in the poll.
In 2023, journalist and music critic Mauro Ferreira, in a post on his blog on the G1 website, praised the singer’s debut album, noting that “the effects of the hurricane are still felt in Brazilian music” and calling it “an unforgettable debut.”
Personnel The following musicians contributed to the album:
Maria Rita – vocals, handclaps Tom Capone – banjo, acoustic guitar, viola, pandeiro, tamborim Tiago Costa – piano, Fender Rhodes, organ, accordion, keyboards Marco da Costa – drums, surdo Fábio Sá – double bass Jorge Helder – double bass Dener de Castro Campolina – double bass Giba Pinto – electric bass Marcelo Mariano – electric bass Marcus Teixeira – acoustic guitar Léo Leobons – percussion, congas, bongos Mestre DaLua – percussion Bocato – trombone Glauco Fernandes – violin Pedro Mibielli – violin Carlos Roberto Mendes – violin Erasmo Carlos Fernandes Júnior – violin Marluce Ferreira – violin José Rogério Rosa – violin Léo Fabrício Ortiz – violin Verônica Gassler – violin Jairo Diniz Silva – viola Eduardo Roberto Pereira – viola Marcelo Isdebski Salles – cello Hugo Pilger – cello
References