Debut album "Along the Road" features the finest musicians from the Dutch Jazz scene and the Brazilian harmonica player Wim Dijkgraaf.
"Along the Road" was release on May 2012 by the american record label Dot Time Records.
Maria Mendes’ sold out performances in Switzerland, Brazil, Portugal and Holland have been drawing the attention of the jazz media worldwide and have gotten great reviews considering her to be one of the most promising singers in the European Jazz scene.
The Portuguese vocalist is remarkable for her crystal clear voice, creative and exciting phrasing and outstanding vocal virtuosity. Her unique vocal abilities have been praised internationally by jazz critics and jazz musicians, awarding her with significant international jazz vocal prizes.
Maria comes from a dynasty of Portuguese musicians and is educated a Jazz vocalist in Porto, Brussels, and Rotterdam.
Her culturally rich background has supplied her with the richness of the classical music, the Bossa Nova’s gentle grooves and the American jazz classics of the early 50s.
Born in Porto (Portugal) and living in Rotterdam (Netherlands) since 2007, it was during her master thesis at Rotterdam’s Codarts university that Maria sought to explore her passion for Jazz and discover her connection with the Bossa Nova. These studies have given her the perfect conditions for the achievement on her uniqueness in style. This is probably what led the international press to classify the sound of Maria Mendes’s debut album as an “Exotic jazz with a Portuguese nostalgia”.
Her debut album “Along the Road” has been released worldwide in May 2012 by the New York based jazz label, DotTime Records. With the international release tour of “Along the Road” Maria has achieved a loyally following audience in each country she performs.



Press Quotes

-“I see a promising shining future for this young talented singer”  QUINCY JONES (USA)

- 5*****   O GLOBO (Brazil)

- 4****1/2   JAZZISM (The Netherlands)

- “Sparkling debut! Mendes makes clear she has absolutely nothing to prove”  ALL ABOUT JAZZ (USA)

- “Maria in the centre of the world”  EXPRESSO (Portugal)

- “Mendes immediately profiles herself as a strong jazz singer”  JAZZISM (The Netherlands)

- “A promising debut from a singer that uses the world as her main stage”  PÚBLICO (Portugal)

- “Maria Mendes impressed Basel Bird’s Eye with her elegant voice”  BASLER ZEITUNGT (Switzerland)

- “An album sung from the heart”  SHEILA JORDAN (USA)

- “Maria Mendes singing is wonderful”  DORI CAYMMI (Brazil)

- “Beautiful singing and great scat”  HERMETO PASCOAL (Brazil)

- “I hope her crystal-clear voice and her precise diction will conquer your hearts like it did mine”  DAVID LINX (Belgium)

- “Listening to Maria’s singing is like feeling the morning glow touching my skin. Her crystal clear voice, perfect tuning and smoothness are unique”   ROSA PASSOS (Brazil)


 
Relevant performances

- De Doelen, HOLLAND | 2013
- OffBeat Jazz Festival, SWITZERLAND | 2013
- Festival da Jazz St. Moritz -Winter edition- SWITZERLAND | 2013
- Sesc Pompeia SP, BRAZIL | 2013
- North Sea Jazz Club, HOLLAND | 2012
- Teatro Rivoli Porto, PORTUGAL | 2012
- Festival de Música de Inverno do Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL | 2011
- Montreux Jazz Festival, SWITZERLAND | 2010
- North Sea Around Town/org. North SeaJazz Festival, HOLLAND | 2009
- Casa da Música PORTUGAL | 2008
- CCB Lisboa, PORTUGAL | 2008
- Woma Jazz Festival, ITALY | 2008


Significant awards

-Winner of the “Nederlands Jazz Vocalisten Concours”, HOLLAND | 2009
- Runner-up at the “Montreux Jazz Voice Competition” SWITZERLAND | 2010 (president of the jury was jazz legend Quincy Jones)
- 1st prize for Improvisation and 2nd prize overall at the “Jazz Voices International competition”, LITHUANIA | 2010
- Public prize at the “Prix du Port”, HOLLAND | 2009
- Runner-up of the “Erasmus Jazz Prize”, HOLLAND | 2008
- Runner-up of the “Brussels Young Jazz Singers Competition”, BELGIUM | 2008

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