Maria Creuza

Maria Creuza Silva Lima (born 26 February 1944), commonly known as Maria Creuza, is a Brazilian singer. She is best known for her collaboration with Vinicius de Moraes and Toquinho. At the age of two, her parents separated, and she moved with her mother to Salvador.

Her mother's love for singing inspired Creuza to become a singer. She, along with Pinto, participated in the 1966 Festival Brasil Canta music competition, performing his song "Se não houvesse Maria". In 1967, they took part in the third Festival de Música Popular Brasileira with Pinto's song "Festa no terreiro de Alaketu".

In 1969, Creuza won the best performer prize and took third place overall in the fourth Festival Universitário da Canção Popular with the song "Mirante" by Aldir Blanc and César Costa Filho. The same year, she performed "Catendê" by the newly-formed music duo of Antônio Carlos Marques Pinto and João Carlos Figueiredo (Jocafi) in the fifth Festival da Música Popular Brasileira. De Moraes invited her on a tour in Argentina and Uruguay with Dori Caymmi, which she accepted.

Creuza continued to collaborate with de Moraes and Toquinho until de Moraes's death in 1980. They toured extensively, mainly around South America and Europe. In 1972, they collaborated on the album Eu sei que vou te amar, a Brazilian version of the La Fusa set.

Creuza continued to record albums through the late 1970s, including Maria Creuza e os grandes mestres do samba (1975), Meia Noite (1977), Doce veneno (1978), and Pecado (1979).

In the 1980s, Creuza released the albums Maria Creuza (1980), Sedução (1981), Poético (1982), dedicated to Vinicius de Moraes, Paixão acesa (1985), Pura magia (1987), Da cor do pecado (1989), and Com Açúcar E Com Afeto (1989). In 1993, she and Carlos Lyra recorded the song "Samba da Benção" for the album Vinicius de Moraes Songbook Vol. 1, part of a three-volume series of works by de Moraes covered by various interpreters.

Later career

In 2003, Creuza released Você e eu, consisting of interpretations of works by de Moraes, and in 2006 Maria Creuza ao vivo.

She has been performing regularly at the Vinicius Bar in Rio de Janeiro, along with shows in Europe.

Personal life

Creuza was married to the musician Antônio Carlos Marques Pinto for 17 years. They had three children. 1977: Meia Noite 1977: Os Pastores da Noite, with Antônio Carlos & Jocáfi, the soundtrack for the movie of the same name 1979: Pecado

1980s 1980: Maria Creuza 1981: Sedução (RCA) 1982: Poético 1985: Paixão acesa (Arca) 1987: Pura magia 1989: Da cor do pecado (Som Livre) 1989: Com Açúcar E Com Afeto

1990s 1991: Todo sentimento (Jazzmania) 1993: Vinicius de Moraes Songbook Vol. 1 with Carlos Lyra for the song "Samba da Benção"

2000s 2003: Você e eu 2006: Maria Creuza ao vivo