MARIANA RAMOS - BIOGRAPHY (Cape Verde)

Critics of the press and broadcast medium are unanimous: Mariana Ramos is a solar singer. She probably owes to Senegal, her native country, this enthusiasm and vigor that characterize her. Generous, Mariana is radiant and attracts all the attention once she's on stage. As the show progresses, she inflames her audience and transmits her sacred fire.

It is in Cape Verde, the home of her ancestors, she finds her inspiration. She transports us to the frenzied air of the archipelago: the cola sanjõn, the coladeira, the joyous music of the island of São Vicente, Funana and batucu legacy of the slaves of the island of Santiago. At each performance she brings her personal touch. When the Franco-Cape Verdean interprets the traditional mornas, we feel a particular emotion sin her voice.

Mariana is a cosmopolitan singer, a symbol of successful intermixing. She lived in Cape Verde in the district of Monte Sossego, raised by her grandmother to whom she dedicated her album "Bibia". She joined her parents who were forced to immigrate to France. Her entire childhood was influenced by both parents. From her mother's side, she inherited her passion for dance that she practices from the age of 7, and from her paternal side, she was seduced by the Cape Verdean rhythms composed by her father, Toy Ramos alias Bibi, guitarist of the famous group "Voz de Cabo Verde". When she came of age, she began performing on stage in a rock band and an orchestra of variety. Later she joined a jazz quintet. At that time Mariana needed to be liberated from her roots. She had a thirst for discovering and interpreting other genres, from Nougaro to Jonasz including Piaf, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan or Rickie Lee Jones.

Impregrated with multiple influences, her meeting with Teofilo Chantre and Nazalio Fortes, young Cape Verdean composers, played a prominent role to take her back to her origins. This was an opportunity for her to metamorphose herself and to revive and reveal her true talents. From this moment she began an inevitable accession to fame.

After a first album "Di dor em or" released in April 2000, she returned on stage at the New Morning, Bataclan, Café de la Danse, touring Africa, Italy and Greece, sometimes along with Tito Paris, Téofilo Cantor, or opening Souad Massi's concert. Mariana was noticed by writer-director Richard Demarcy to act, to sing and to dance in a play "Oye Luna" with over 600 performances in Europe and Africa.

With "Bibia", released in 2004, Mariana offered a hearty CD, the fruit of a combination of talents: Ano Nobo, the poet Manuel de Novas, Teofilo Chantre, the composer of Cesaria Evora, and her father Toy Ramos signing four beautiful compositions filled with "sodade".

CONTACTS Booking: Laëtitia Chantrait – [email protected] / Aubin Dohounon – [email protected] Safoul Productions 27ter, rue du Progrès 93107 Montreuil www.safoul-productions.com - Tél. +33(0)1 48 59 36 11

Her third album "Mornador" was followed by a tour which was noticed by the press in France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Germany. Mariana wrote and composed six titles. The growing audience supported her more than before.

SUAVIDANCA – NEW ALBUM

In February 2011, Mariana is going to release "SuaviDança", her fourth album with 12 songs. Subtle arrangements emphasize her suave voice with elegance and bring out the rhythms of her Cape Verde. Brass and strings highlight elegantly the compositions of Toy Bibia, Teofilo Chantre and Jorge Humberto. Mariana has composed two songs: "Beleza", funana which is an excerpt from Misa's collection of poetry, and "Nzinga Mbandi" which celebrates the heroine of Angola in a duet with Angelique Kidjo. Eight titles were written by herself. Success does not just happen by chance, because, by returning to her Cape Verdean roots, Mariana betrayed nothing of her cosmopolitan trip. She was enriched by all the influences that have seduced her.

Singular and universal, Mariana opens up a beautiful path for the song of her archipelago.

Discography:

"Di dor em or", Morabeza Records / Dam - April 2000 "Bibia", Doçura / Lusafrica / Harmonia Mundi - May 2004 "Mornador", Casa Verde Productions / Lusafrica / Sony BMG - January 2008 "SuaviDança", Casa Verde Productions / Lusafrica / Sony BMG - February 21, 2011

MAIN SHOWS 2011

Café de la Danse (Paris – march), Bataclan (Paris - may), Quai Branly museum (Paris - may), World Day of Music (Pierrelatte – june), Open air theatre (Pau – juillet), Alcazar (Paris – september), le Trident (Cherbourg – October), Théâtre Lino Ventura (Torcy – novembre), two shows in Algeria (Alger and Bejaia – december)

WEB

- Internet websites : http://www.safoul-productions.com/en/accueil_en_mariana_ramos.htm http://www.mariana-ramos.com/

- video links: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgseb6_couleurs-tropicales-mariana-ramos_music