"I've been listening to Maria Joao. When I first heard her live she made me cry. Not many people move me like that." REGINA CARTER

Maria João - vocal, Mario Laginha - piano

Maria João Monteiro Grancha was born in 1956, in Lisbon. Maria João's career started at Lisbon's Hot Club Jazz School, in 1982. Hot Club is oldest club in Lisbon with music school. Through her veins running Portuguese (father) and Mozambican (mother) blood, maybe it is reason why the largest part of her life takes jazz parallel to world music.

In 1932 she founded quintet together with Mario Laginha, Carlos Martins, Antonio Ferro and Carlos Vieira. Together they recorded two albums Quinteto de Maria João (1983) and Cem Caminhos (1985 - with David Gausden instead of António Ferro). Success was achieved at the International Jazz Festival of Cascais when for the first time the critics and the audience surrendered to her extraordinary talent. 

She won the first prize for the best group at the competition at the International Jazz Festival of San Sebastian. Receiving "Nova Gente" award for best female artist of the year. In 1984 she became the presenter of the Portuguese Television Jazz Show, thanks to which she was given the "Revelation of the Year" award. In 1985 she performed at the Cascais Jazz Festival and got a great acclaim. Since her recording debut, she has recorded ten albums, two of them with the Japanese pianist Aki Takase. Performed with Al Jarreau, Nils Henning Örsted-Pedersen and Miroslav Vitous, she also began her collaboration with David Friedman and Charlie Mariano.