Vanessa Da Mata

Hailing from Mato Grosso, Brazil, where she first entered the world in 1976, singer and composer Vanessa da Mata absorbed childhood influences from revered figures including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Milton Nascimento, and Luiz Gonzaga, alongside Rio’s broadcast sounds captured on her radio. At age fifteen she moved to Uberlândia in Minas Gerais and began singing in local clubs before shifting her base to São Paulo to advance her career. She performed with a reggae ensemble and even shared stages briefly with the celebrated Jamaican collective Black Uhuru, while also devoting spare hours to basketball and modeling. Despite the power of her vocals, da Mata initially achieved recognition through her songwriting. In collaboration with Chico César she created “A Força Que Nunca Seca,” the title track of Maria Bethânia’s 1999 album, and soon contributed material to Daniela Mercury, Ana Carolina, and César himself. With accumulated experience she chose to document her own work, issuing her self-titled debut album in 2002. Her subsequent release, Essa Boneca Tem Manuel, elevated her profile substantially, propelled by the single “Ai Ai Ai.” Three years afterward came her third album, Sim, which included guest appearances by pianist João Donato and American rocker Ben Harper, among others. The project’s singles “Amado” and “Boa Sorte/Good Luck,” the latter featuring Harper, both reached the summit of the Brazilian charts. Da Mata earned a Latin Grammy for Best Contemporary Brazilian Pop Album. Following extensive touring she unveiled her first live album, issued as the audio-video package Multishow ao Vivo in 2009 and captured in tandem with the cable channel Multishow. Although she supported the recording on the road, she soon sought a return to the studio. In October 2010 she delivered Bicicletas, Bolos e Outras Alegrias, previewed by the advance single “O Tal Casal.” Its closing track, “Quando Amanhecer,” was recorded as a duet with Gilberto Gil. The next year she joined Seu Jorge and Almaz on the song “Boa Reza,” featured on the HIV/AIDS benefit collection Red Hot + Rio 2.

The year 2013 proved especially active for the artist. Between April and June she partnered with Nivea to stage a series of complimentary concerts across major Brazilian cities devoted to the compositions of Tom Jobim. The programs’ strong reception prompted her to extend the tour once the sponsorship concluded. In July she issued the album Vanessa da Mata Canta Tom Jobim, documenting the concert repertoire. That same year she wed Brazilian actor and photographer Geraldo Pestalozzi—though the marriage ended after a few years—and together they adopted three children. Rounding out 2013, da Mata published her debut novel, A Filha das Flores, in October. She returned to core MPB on 2014’s Segue o Som, assembled with a sizable ensemble featuring guitarists Kassin and Liminha, who also served as co-producers, plus pianist Lincoln Olivetti. Of the fourteen tracks she wrote or co-wrote thirteen; the sole cover was a samba arrangement of John Denver’s “Sunshine on My Shoulders.” Three years later she released another combined audio-video live set, Caixinha de Música, which ascended to the top of the Brazilian album charts.