KCC Productions presents Maria Rivas at Pinecrest January 26, 2013

Known as one of the most versatile voices in Latin America
and now North America, Maria Rivas skillfully combines
American and Latin Jazz rhythms with lively yet sentimental
music from around the world. She interprets her music in
English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and performs her
own blend of traditional standards as well as music and lyrics
she has composed herself.
Maria’s unique sound is an intoxicating combination of classic
American jazz and Latin music, with just the right splash of
Brazilian accents, together with her signature mixture of
indigenous, Caribbean, European, and African strains.
From slow and sensuous, to very lively with a strong beat, her
audiences love alternately to dance to her music, or sit and
listen while being both moved and energized. A significant
number of her audience members have described her
performances as “magical”--their word.
Her exotic and varied repertoire includes American jazz and
blues standards such as ‘Funny Valentine’, ‘Route 66’, ‘Lush
Life’, and ‘Summertime;’ Latin classics like ‘Bésame Mucho’
and ‘Moliendo Café;’ smooth and sensuous Brazilian bossa
nova tunes like ‘Girl from Ipanema’, ‘Corcovado’, ‘Dindi’ and
‘One Note Samba’; movingly romantic ballads, such as ‘My
Romance’ and ‘Our Love is Here to Stay,’ and many, many
others.
During her musical career spanning over 30 years, Maria has
released ten CDs while headlining concerts in Latin America,
North America, Europe, and Asia. including the world-famous
Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. She entertains her
audiences with her uniquely melodious voice and dynamic
expression and stage presence, as well as her phenomenal
‘Scat’ improvisations, which have been favorably compared
by music critics and audiences with those of Ella Fitzgerald.
Maria has won every prestigious singing award Venezuela and
much of Latin America have to offer. Her hit song,
MANDUCO, remained in the number one position on the
charts in Latin America for many months, and in the top 10 for
over 3 years, and turned her into a cultural icon. Maria now
makes her home in South Florida.
Ms. Rivas also became known as the vocalist most associated
with Venezuela’s most prominent and beloved composer of
the 20th century, Maestro Aldemaro Romero. Ms. Rivas and
Maestro Romero collaborated during 20 years of concerts,
both acoustic with piano and voice, as well as with symphonic
orchestras. Over the course of this period, Ms. Rivas achieved
an intensely personal style of interpretation of Maestro
Romero’s work, which continues to influence her Jazz
interpretations and improvisations.