MARIA MENDES (PT)
Singer, songwriter, latinjazz

​Portuguese singer Maria Mendes has her heart and soul in jazz, talent and work that has garnered praise from musical legends such as Quincy Jones and Hermeto Pascoal, with European critics in agreement and pointing to her as one of the strongest musical promises on the European continent. . On his latest album, Close To Me (2019), performed with the American pianist/arranger  John Beasley (GRAMMY® winner and producer and co-arranger of Close To Me) and with Metropole Orkest, recognized as the world's largest jazz symphony orchestra, holder of several Grammys, the artist explores a musical genre completely different from Fado,  that is so unique to him, in a surprising and refreshing result in adaptations of fado never made for jazz. As a result, the album received the Dutch EDISON® Music Award for Best Jazz Vocal Record 2020 as well as being nominated for the 2021 GRAMMY® and the 2020 Latin Grammy®.