Since the '80s at the Night Stage in Cambridge, Boston- USA, and also her appearance at the City Jazz, and other American venues, she has been refining the art of interpreting her own outstanding compositions and the songs of composers like the late Tom Jobim, creator of Brazil's Bossa Nova music movement. A native of Sao Paulo, she began musical studies as a young child.

She first played piano professionally at the age of 16, and her career began to soar in the late 1980s with the rise of her new blended style of Brazilian Jazz. She studied piano, voice and composition at Berklee College of Music, University of South Florida-USA, and York University-Canada. Pre-eminent in Brazil and USA for more than 20 years, Farinha is recognized world-wide as one of the definitive Brazilian Jazz vocalists of her generation, one of The Best Brazilian Divas and one of The Best Latin Divas (Mark Holston for Hispanic Magazine-California).

A dynamically talented composer, songwriter, singer and producer whose ability to blend Samba and Jazz sensibilities is unrivaled. She has appeared at many of American's Jazz festivals, Art of Jazz Festival in Toronto, the "Global Divas" from the Canadian Broadcasting Centre CBC, and throughout Brazil. She has worked with many of Brazil's top stars, including Manfredo Fest, Romero Lubambo, Gilberto Gil and with other jazz artists such as Arturo Sandoval, Danny Gottlieb, Giovanni Hidalgo, Richie Zellon, Richard Drexler, Jane Bunnet.

In Brazil, she has worked with Nailor Azevedo (Proveta), Thiago do Espirito Santo, Lupa Santiago, Sizao Machado, Da Lua and Silvia Goes. Her own 2002 recording, "Endless Samba", featured tributes to Tom Jobim, Edu Lobo, Chico Buarque, Armando Manzanero as well as her own compositions in the genre of Bossa Nova and Brazilian Jazz. This recording is well acclaimed by the international media and considered a master piece of Brazilian Jazz.

Her debut album "Planeta Banana" was well acclaimed by critic Hilarey Gray from "Jazz Times Magazine", and by Scott Yanow head editor of "All Music Guide to Jazz". In the beginning of 2007, Maria released a new album "Kiss of Love" already acclaimed by Vinicius Mesquita, head editor of Jazz + Magazine. Nowadays, she is working in the release of her next album in Canada. Maria works as a Performer and music Instructor at York University in Toronto, Canada.

Contact Maria at :- maria@mariaffarinha.com

Website :- www.mariaffarinha.com