Marisa Monte is a Brazilian singer, composer, instrumentalist and record producer known for Brazilian popular music and samba. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1967, she had sold 10 million albums worldwide by 2011 and won numerous national and international awards, including four Latin Grammys. Rolling Stone Brasil ranks her as the second greatest singer in Brazil, behind only Elis Regina. Two of her albums appear on a list of the 100 best albums of Brazilian music.
Early life and training
Monte was born in Rio de Janeiro to an engineer father and a mother with the surname Marques de Azevedo. Her paternal line descends from the Saboia family, one of the oldest Italian families in Brazil. As a child she studied singing, piano and drums, and at 14 she began studying opera singing. At 19 she went to Italy to study bel canto while performing Brazilian music in bars and clubs, which led to her meeting the producer Nelson Motta.
Musical career
After returning to Rio in 1987, Monte became a blend of MPB diva and pop rock performer. Her music is mostly in the style of modern MPB, though she has also recorded traditional samba and folk songs. She has worked with Brazilian songwriters and with New York avant-garde musicians. Her 1989 live album MM was a critical and commercial success, driven by the single Bem Que Se Quis. She owns the rights to all of her songs, a condition she set when renewing her contract with EMI Music.