Lady of Brasil

Following her sell out performance at the Barbican 2 years ago, Maria Rita returns to London after touring with her award winning album, Samba Meu.

Daughter of the acclaimed, Elis Regina, of one of Brasil's most celebrated and well known MPB artists, the singer Elis Regina, who died at the young age of 36 due to complications which arose from an overdose of cocaine, alcohol and tranquillisers., Rita inherited her dulcet tones and stage presence from her mother, interpreting songs with an emotional force that few other artists can muster. Her father is musician, arranger and pianist César Camargo Mariano, so naturally she's in good stead when it comes to music in the genes.

For all our British and European readers who haven't come across Maria Rita before, you surely can't have been in London in the summer of 2008, when JungleDrums presented her show at the Barbican, to a packed-out Barbican nonetheless, which marked the singer's much anticipated UK debut.

Maria Rita was born in 1977, and beyond her own success and achievement as an accomplished singer. Previous albums include the aptly named Maria Rita (2003) and Segundo (2005) respectively, the first selling more than a million copies worldwide. Her most recent release back in 2007, Samba Meu, led to a most successful tour both in Brasil and here in Europe, which she threw herself into, with the only thing hindering her in the area being her responsibilities as a mother, her son being born in 2004.

Winner of six Latin Grammys, including Best Emerging Artist, making her the only Brasilian singer ever to have won this category, she's sold more than 1.2 million CDs and DVDs, solely in Brasil, firmly establishing herself as a new icon of MPB.

Now she returns to prestigious North London venue, Koko, with charisma and energy in what will be an unforgettable performance from one of the biggest phenomenon's in contemporary Brazilian music.

Catch her on Tuesday, 18th May at Koko, 1a Camden High Street, London NW1 7JE 7pm. Adm: £20 adv, more on door. Info: 0870 432 5527 / 0207 242 5140 / koko.uk.com