Biography
A vibrant performer of Brazilian origin, Thalma de Freitas works across singing, composing, and acting, weaving together strands of her country’s musical heritage with pop, R&B, jazz, and Latin influences. She first stepped onto stages in the early 1990s as a theater artist, later achieving broader recognition through roles in cinema and television series. Her recording career includes the 1996 album Thalma and its 2004 follow-up, Thalma de Freitas, each reflecting a lively blend of current and ancestral styles. Among her many partnerships are those with Caetano Veloso, Madlib, and Kamasi Washington.
She entered the world in Rio de Janeiro in 1974, raised by pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor Laércio de Freitas in an environment rich with artistic activity. Already an accomplished vocalist by adolescence, she made her theatrical bow in 1992 with a production of the musical Hair. Additional stage work soon followed, and she issued her first record, Thalma, in 1996, an album marked by an energetic combination of R&B, Brazilian rhythms, and contemporary dance elements that included the well-received track “Eu Quero Tanta Coisa.”
Throughout the ensuing years she maintained a dual focus on music and performance, taking parts in feature films and telenovelas alike. Her second solo release, Thalma de Freitas, appeared in 2004 and carried input from her father as she reimagined classic Brazilian pieces by Jacob do Bandolim, Hermínio Bello de Carvalho, Mateus and Dadinho, Kassin, and others. Separate projects have linked her with Bebel Gilberto, Ithaka, Caetano Veloso, and additional figures. In 2012 she stood in for Brazil at the London Paralympics closing ceremony, sharing the stage with Carlinhos Brown. That same year she moved to Los Angeles, where she broadened her musical approach through steady performances with her own group. She contributed vocals to three Kamasi Washington releases that earned widespread praise: The Epic in 2015, Harmony of Difference in 2017, and Heaven & Earth in 2018. Her first Grammy nomination arrived in 2019 in the Best Latin Jazz Album category for her participation on John Finbury’s Sorte!
She entered the world in Rio de Janeiro in 1974, raised by pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor Laércio de Freitas in an environment rich with artistic activity. Already an accomplished vocalist by adolescence, she made her theatrical bow in 1992 with a production of the musical Hair. Additional stage work soon followed, and she issued her first record, Thalma, in 1996, an album marked by an energetic combination of R&B, Brazilian rhythms, and contemporary dance elements that included the well-received track “Eu Quero Tanta Coisa.”
Throughout the ensuing years she maintained a dual focus on music and performance, taking parts in feature films and telenovelas alike. Her second solo release, Thalma de Freitas, appeared in 2004 and carried input from her father as she reimagined classic Brazilian pieces by Jacob do Bandolim, Hermínio Bello de Carvalho, Mateus and Dadinho, Kassin, and others. Separate projects have linked her with Bebel Gilberto, Ithaka, Caetano Veloso, and additional figures. In 2012 she stood in for Brazil at the London Paralympics closing ceremony, sharing the stage with Carlinhos Brown. That same year she moved to Los Angeles, where she broadened her musical approach through steady performances with her own group. She contributed vocals to three Kamasi Washington releases that earned widespread praise: The Epic in 2015, Harmony of Difference in 2017, and Heaven & Earth in 2018. Her first Grammy nomination arrived in 2019 in the Best Latin Jazz Album category for her participation on John Finbury’s Sorte!
Albums
Singles
