Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Marisa began her musical studies, including piano, drums & music theory, at a very early age. Her father was one of the directors of the Portela Samba school, however Monte's interest was in classical music and opera. At the end, she travelled to Italy at age 18 to study classical singing despite coming of age during the height of the popular Brasileira movement. It was while abroad that Monte first fully recognized the musical richness of her homeland, and decided to return to Brazil following in the footsteps of her greatest influences, Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Jorge Ben and Caetano Veloso.

Having grown up immersed in samba, Monte was aware that there were many songs that were passed along orally that weren't being recorded and were in danger of being lost. She began researching these songs and their histories by interviewing samba composers, as well as their family members and colleagues. The end result is Universo Ao Meu Redor (The Universe Around Me) that includes Monte's interpretations of songs dating back as far as the 1940s as well as other contemporary composers. Ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne also makes a guest appearance on the song “Statue of Liberty,” which he co-wrote with Monte. "This album was focusing more on the atmosphere of samba than on samba itself, with its most repeated motifs: Love, nature, music, the human condition, the call of the birds, the country house with a picket fence, coexistence through art," adds Monte. Look out for Marisa Monte and her irrepressible 10-piece band as they tour the U.S. for the first time in six years, making stops in SF, LA, Miami and New York in November. As the sweet summer sun starts to set around the world, an album like Universo Ao Meu Redor is the perfect remedy for end-of-season sadness - it holds the exquisite sound of outdoors in each beautiful track.

TOUR DATES
11/4 & 5 - San Francisco - Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
11/8 - Los Angeles - Royce Hall/UCLA
11/10 & 11 - Miami - Gusman Center for the Performing Arts
11/14 - New York - Beacon Theater