Note from BW of Brazil: Talented singer/musician Mara Nascimento will homage two important, influential singers in an upcoming show. Both are legends and actually have a few things in common. Elza Soares and Ella Fitzgerald were both known for the ability to “scat”, the vocal style in which a singer uses his or her voice in an improvisational style similar to a musician playing an instrument. In her 1960 hit, “Se Acaso Você Chegasse”, Soares introduced the scat style bringing a Jazz element to the Samba while Fitzgerald built a career of the style. The two singers also have a connection to another Jazz legend, the late, great Louis Armstrong. Soares performed with Armstrong in Chile in 1962 and “Pops” was said to have been quite fond of Elza, affectionately referring to her as “minha filha (my daughter)”. Ella recorded a few albums and performed live with Armstrong as well. Mara couldn’t have chosen two finer singers to pay homage to. Learn a little about her and hear a few of her songs below.

Mara Nascimento makes a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Elza Soares

Singer, songwriter and bandleader Mara Nascimento will present the show “Elza & Ella”, a tribute to Elza Soares and Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), on August 2^nd at 11pm at the All of Jazz club on Rua João Cachoeira (street). The cover charge is R$30 (US$13.50). Elza Soares that, according to a compliment of the Jazz legend Louis Armstrong, “has a saxophone in her throat”, was elected the “Singer of the Millenium” in the year 2000 by the BBC of London. Ella Fitzgerald, also known as the First Lady of Song and Lady Ella, was a popular American Jazz singer. With a vocal range of three octaves, she gained fame for the purity of her tonality, her diction, phrasing and impeccable intonation, as well as an ability to improvise “similar to a wind instrument” particularly in scatting.

Mara Nascimento, singer and songwriter, was born in a religious family directly connected to music. Her mother, Léa Gomes, is a pianist and maestro, and owner of the Conservatório Musical Franz Liszt  (Paulo Franz Liszt Conservatory of Music ) in São Paulo, her father, Pedro Nascimento, played cavaquinho (ukulele) and guitar, and was connected to Brazilian Samba. Mara has two brothers, Robson Nascimento, pastor and one of the most renowned Gospel and Soul singers of Brazil, and Rodney Nascimento, a drummer in Soul and MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) bands.

As a young girl Mara displayed an extraordinary gift learning to play drums, guitar, violin, cello, saxophone and piano, the latter as her favorite for composing in various styles of MPB, Soul, Jazz, Blues, R& B and Funk.

Since the year 2002 she has performed with the band Soul’Pa and is also frequently invited to sing on various stages all over Brazil. She studied music at UniFMU/SP (São Paulo) and, in late 2003, graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Anhembi Morumbi.

Throughout her career, Mara Nascimento studied in Germany, where she also performed, and soon after in Argentina, Spain and France.

Besides her career as a musician, she founded the school, the Espaço Musical Mara Nascimento (Mara Nascimento Musical Space). In 2006 she received the “Mulher do ano (Woman of the Year)” award as the best vocal coach. Among other things, she worked with the cast of TV novelas such as Amigas & Rivals, Amor e Revolução, Corações Feridos and Carrossel.

Although the CD Amigo dedicated “in memoriam” to her father Pedro do Nascimento was not released due to a lack of a recording label already, she has participated in several collections and made special appearances with several performers where she displayed her talent as a singer in very different styles from Soul and Capoeira to Hip-Hop and Reggaeton.

 MARA NASCIMENTO – “Menina Capoeira”

Mara Nascimento with Thaíde and Sandra de Sá – Guarde Minha Voz.

Mara Nascimento  sings “Como vai você” from the soundtrack of the SBT TV novela  “Corações Feridos”