Maysa

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Also known as

Maysa Matarazzo

Years Active

1956–1977

Genres

samba-canção, bossa nova, MPB

Instruments

vocals, piano

Biography

Maysa Figueira Monjardim, known professionally as Maysa, was a prominent Brazilian singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, and actress. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1936, she emerged in the 1950s as a leading figure of samba-canção, shaping a new aesthetic characterized by deeply romantic lyrics and a melancholic, dramatic vocal style often associated with the "dor-de-cotovelo" genre. Her career took off unexpectedly in 1956 when she recorded her debut album, Convite para ouvir Maysa, featuring her own compositions for a charitable cause, which unexpectedly became a massive hit across Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Throughout the 1960s, Maysa expanded her artistic horizons by embracing the Bossa Nova movement, participating in historic international tours alongside musicians like Roberto Menescal and Ronaldo Bôscoli. She became the first Brazilian female singer to perform in Japan and maintained an extensive international career with performances and recordings across the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Later in life, she ventured into acting, starring in telenovelas such as O Cafona and receiving acclaim for her dramatic performances, while also grappling with long periods of depression before her untimely death in a car accident in 1977.

Maysa left behind a powerful legacy as an intensely personal and emotive interpreter of Brazilian popular music, standing alongside contemporaries such as Dolores Duran and Nora Ney. Her unique phrasing and melancholic vocal timbre bridged the passionate drama of samba-canção with the sophisticated lightness of bossa nova, cementing her status as a cultural icon. Her musical journey and artistic contributions continue to be celebrated in Brazilian popular culture, inspiring generations of subsequent artists.

Discography

• Convite para Ouvir Maysa, Vol. 1 (1956)
• Maysa (1957)
• Convite para Ouvir Maysa, Vol. 2 (1958)
• Convite para Ouvir Maysa, Vol. 3 (1958)
• Convite para Ouvir Maysa, Vol. 4 (1959)
• Maysa é Maysa... é Maysa, é Maysa (1959)
• Voltei (1960)
• Songs Before Dawn (1961)
• Maysa Amor...E Maysa (1961)
• Canção do Amor Mais Triste (1962)
• Barquinho (1964)
• Maysa pelo Mundo (1968)
• Canecão Apresenta Maysa (1969)
• Ando Só numa Multidão de Amores (1970)
• Ouça (2010)
• Favela (2015)
• Hino ao amor (1958 - 1960) (2018)
• Samba triste (1958 - 1960) (2018)
• Samba-Canção Diva (2022)
• Saudade Paulistana - Maysa e a Melancolia Urbana (2023)
• Samba da Solidão (2024)