Tita Lima

There are over 6000 miles between São Paulo’s, Brazil and Los Angeles, California. The music of Tita Lima rhythmically bridges that distance in the time that it takes to listen to one of her songs.

For Tita, born and raised in São Paulo, music came naturally and began as a family affair. She learned to play the piano with her grandmother and later the bass with her father, the bass player for the influential 70s rock band "Os Mutantes".

Most of Tita’s life since her early years has seen her hopscotch between two of the world’s most influential media centers — the metropolis’ of Sao Paolo and Los Angeles. Tita studied at LA’s Musician’s Institute and has paid her dues in São Paulo’s musical scene playing bass, singing, recording and sharing the stage with such widely-recognized artists as Bocato, João Donato, Luz de Caroline, Núcleo and Dori Caymmi, among others.

The album, “11:11” marks Tita’s emergence as a bonafide solo artist. A tasty mixture of MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), Samba-Jazz, Bossa Nova, Hip-Hop and Dub, The album gathers a host of excellent musicians and producers from both countries, including Bocato, Apollo 9, Andre Cachabava, Kassim, JJ (Jorge Bem), Beto Cascales and Bryan Velasco among others.

“The album was recorded both in Brazil and the United and was an interplay between musicians in both countries. It was very exciting to watch how all those involved, in their own way, contributed to make a new sound. Music for me is an intuitive and personal experience, where I allow myself and others to explore without prejudices or preconceptions,” explains Tita.

“Even though I have a base in traditional Brazilian music, especially the ‘old school samba’ of Cartola, Edson Machado and Moacir Santos among others, I am very connected to and aware of the sounds of my generation, listening to everyone from Cold Cutz and Herbert to Jumbo Electro and Nação Zumbi.”

This quilt of musical influences and its product, “11:11”, is more than just a lone buoy floating in the immense ocean that is contemporary Brazilian music. It is part of a much larger trend.

“It is an exciting moment in Brazilian music today. There are great new things happening like Nova MPB (New MPB). “Nova MPB” takes MPB as a starting point and throws the music of Brazil back out into the world, combining our music with others to create new hybrids. Also, there is a new movement of female producers gathering momentum in Brazil. Women artists like Cyz, Marisa Monte, and now myself, are taking matters into their own hands, no longer relying on others to produce our music.”

And the music world, of course, is beginning to notice the LA-residing girl from Sao Paolo. The first song from “11:11”, “A Conta Do Samba” , was selected to be part of the “Brownswood Bubblers” compilation put together by world-renowned English DJ Gilles Peterson for his new label.

“Aside from performing in support of the album throughout the Untied States this fall, I’ve also begun work on the next album, but I’m taking my time, collaborating with musicians in England, Brazil and the United States and exploring new approaches,” adds Tita.