Maria Rita (born September 9, 1977, in Sao Paulo, Brazil), born Maria Rita Camargo Mariano, is a Brazilian singer associated with musica popular brasileira (MPB), samba, Brazilian pop, and jazz. She is the daughter of singer Elis Regina and pianist, arranger, and producer Cesar Camargo Mariano. Although her family placed her close to one of the most important musical traditions in Brazil, Maria Rita established her own identity through a controlled, expressive vocal style and a repertoire that connects sophisticated MPB songwriting with the rhythmic language of samba.
She studied at New York University and briefly worked as a journalist before beginning her professional singing career. Maria Rita started performing publicly in 2001, at the age of 24. Her family background attracted considerable attention, but her debut quickly demonstrated that she was more than an heir to a famous name. Her first album, Maria Rita, was released in 2003 and became a major commercial and critical success. The record introduced her as a powerful yet nuanced interpreter, with highlights including "A Festa", written by Milton Nascimento, and "Cara Valente", composed by Marcelo Camelo.
The debut earned Maria Rita three Latin Grammy Awards in 2004: Best New Artist, Best MPB Album, and Best Song in Portuguese for "A Festa". She became the first Brazilian artist to win the Best New Artist award, an achievement that immediately established her as one of the leading new voices in Brazilian music. The album also generated an acclaimed live DVD, extending the impact of her first recording through a concert-based visual format.
Her second studio album, Segundo (2005), broadened her reputation. Produced with a strong emphasis on song interpretation and rhythmic detail, it included "Caminho das Aguas", by Rodrigo Maranhao, and won further Latin Grammy recognition. The album's success helped Maria Rita develop an international audience, leading to performances at venues and festivals including Montreux Jazz Festival and North Sea Jazz Festival.
With Samba Meu (2007), Maria Rita moved more decisively toward samba. The album combined acoustic instrumentation, traditional rhythmic patterns, and contemporary production, while preserving the close, conversational quality of her singing. Its success was followed by the live release Samba Meu: Ao Vivo in 2008. Samba remained central to her work in the following years, although she continued to record across the wider MPB field.
Elo (2011) presented interpretations of songs by artists including Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Rita Lee, and Djavan. The project was followed by Redescobrir (2012), a live recording connected to Viva Elis, a tribute project devoted to the repertoire of her mother. Maria Rita had long avoided relying publicly on Elis Regina's legacy, making the project an important turning point: it acknowledged her musical inheritance while placing the songs within her own performance language.
Her commitment to samba became especially pronounced on Coraçao a Batucar (2014), a studio album that reached the top of the Brazilian album chart and won the Latin Grammy for Best Samba/Pagode Album. Later releases included the live project O Samba em Mim: Ao Vivo na Lapa (2016), Amor e Musica (2018), the EP Desse Jeito (2022), and Samba da Maria: Ao Vivo (2023). Through recordings, concert films, and extensive touring, Maria Rita has become recognized as one of the defining Brazilian vocalists of her generation. In 2025, she received Brazil's Order of Cultural Merit for her contribution to the country's cultural life.