Paula Maya
Austin, Texas, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2000 | INDIE | AFM
Music
Press
In the past decade, Austin’s growing Brazilian music scene has risen and carved out its own vibrant space in the city’s musical landscape. Among the musicians helping boost the visibility of Brazilian artists locally is singer /songwriter and keyboardist Paula Maya. In her sixth studio album, “Iluminar,” she takes a departure from previous pop, electronica and rock-influenced albums and digs deeper into her Brazilian roots.
Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Maya’s latest record of mostly Portuguese songs feature everything from traditional bossa nova to a reggae-inspired pop tune. “Iluminar” releases May 4, and Austinites can celebrate at the CD release party on May 7 at the One-2-One Bar. Doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are available for $10 online at one2onebar.com. Check out Paula Maya’s music at yellowhouserecords.com. ~ Nancy Flores - AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN 360 MAGAZINE - 4-24-2015
Keyboardist, singer, and songwriter Paula Maya creates sophisticated and soothing melodies.
Now based out of Austin, Paula Maya has translated all of her influences and training into music carrying traces of jazz, pop, reggae, and bossa nova. Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, she has trained at the Federal University of Music in Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Music Conservatory, as well as with the great Luizinho Eça, David Kyle, and Mady Kaye. Inspired by “humanity, nature and the divine’ in her music, Maya has started her own record label, Yellow House Records, and is due to release her sixth studio album Iluminar, a warm and uplifting nod to her roots, this coming week.
You can watch Paula Maya perform live on May 7th at her release concert at One-2-One Bar and you can stream her music right here on KUTX.
– Leyla Aksu - KUTX 98.9fm
Austin-based Paula Maya is originally from Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of bossa nova and, a century earlier, choro, a Brazilian be-bop-like music. Both musical styles, as well as Brazilian dance music like samba and baião, are represented on Iluminar, where the jazzy, South American styles incorporate Brazilian melodies with folk, roots, electronica and pop. The soft ballads and Brazilian percussion reveal an intimate side of Maya’s music, steeped in swirling melodies and rhythms of South America. Sung predominately in Portuguese, Iluminar is distinguished from Maya’s previous releases, which featured a mix of pop, rock, classical music, avant grade instrumentals and electronica.
lluminar, which means “to shine” in Portuguese, features eight songs — seven originals and one traditional bossa nova. The album title is taken from the opener, “Iluminar Você,” written in Portuguese about flying to Rio de Janeiro to see her old friends and family. Though Iluminar is inspired by Brazil, it’s also Maya’s first album completely recorded, mixed and mastered in Austin. Rolling by as gently as a samba-filled breeze, it’s all rolled together
so seamlessly that it makes for a captivating whole. — BRIAN MCGRATH - Texas Music Monthly
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
One of the Top Ten World Music Bands in the 2015 & 2014 Austin Chronicle Music Awards!
Paula Maya is a Brazilian singer, songwriter and keyboardist. Her songs are strongly influenced by Brazilian music, jazz and world-pop.
Paula is from Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of bossa nova and songs such as Girl from Ipanema. Rio is also where choro, a Brazilian be-bop-like music, was born a century before bossa nova. Both music styles, as well as Brazilian dance music like samba and baião, are heard in Paula's songs. Another strong influence is the eclectic community of musicians from different parts of the world that Paula is a part of, in Austin TX and in Seattle, where she used to live. Different genres such as jazz, country, reggae and soukous inspire fresh music blends.
Paula studied jazz piano and bossa nova with the great pianist / arranger Luizinho Eça who used to call her, affectionately, 'geniozinho' (petite genius). Prior to leading her own groups, Paula performed with dozens of bands in a variety of music styles, including the legendary jazz /swing /MPB Orquestra Tabajara in Brazil. She has shared the stage with artists such as Caetano Veloso, Leila Pinheiro, Djavan, Vinicius Cantuaria, Teo Lima and Batacoto, Cyril Neville, Tab Benoit, Mitch Watkins and The Presidents of the United States of America. Paula Maya has songs in several compilations, including Delicacy, featuring songs with artists such as Jimmy Cliff.
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