Maria Luiza Jobim & Otto

Biography

Maria Luiza Lontra Jobim, born on March 20, 1987, is a Brazilian singer and composer, best known as the daughter of legendary bossa nova maestro Antônio Carlos Jobim (Tom Jobim) and his second wife, Ana Beatriz Lontra Jobim. Growing up in the shadow of her father's immense legacy, she entered the music world early; at age 7 in 1994—the year of Tom Jobim's death—she featured as a vocalist alongside him on the album Antônio Brasileiro, singing on tracks like Samba de Maria Luiza (a samba dedicated to her) and Forever Green. This album later won a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Performance the following year. She studied Architecture and Letters for several years but ultimately pursued music professionally.[1][2]

Maria Luiza developed her career in the Brazilian indie and alternative scenes, serving as the vocalist for the band Baleia and later forming the electronic music duo Opala with Lucas de Paiva. In 2006, she collaborated with her nephew Daniel Jobim on a Portuguese version of her father's classic Wave, which served as the opening theme for the Rede Globo telenovela Páginas da Vida. Her solo debut came in late 2019 with the studio album Casa Branca, aligning with her Spotify genre of new MPB (Música Popular Brasileira), blending contemporary sounds with bossa nova influences. She continues to perform live, including jazz sets as seen in recent streams.[1][3]

While her legacy is still emerging, Maria Luiza carries forward the Jobim family tradition, contributing to modern interpretations of Brazilian music. Her work bridges her father's iconic bossa nova roots with electronic and new MPB styles, maintaining a presence in both recording and live performance circuits.

Fun Facts

• At age 7, during the recording of Samba de Maria Luiza on her father's 1994 album, young Maria Luiza exclaimed 'De novo' (again) after her part, prompting Tom Jobim to gruffly reply 'Não fala que grava!' (Don't talk, they're recording!), captured on the track.[2]
• The song Samba de Maria Luiza describes her green eyes as resembling 'chuchu' (chayote squash), a tender and playful paternal lyric.[2]
• Her early collaboration with her father helped Antônio Brasileiro win a Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Performance in 1995.[1]
• She briefly studied Architecture and Letters before fully committing to music.[1]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Antônio Carlos Jobim (Tom Jobim) - Father and primary musical influence (Antônio Brasileiro (1994), Samba de Maria Luiza, Forever Green) [1994]

Key Collaborators

• Lucas de Paiva - Duo partner in electronic music project (Opala) [2000s-2010s]
• Daniel Jobim - Nephew and co-recording artist (Portuguese version of Wave (theme for Páginas da Vida)) [2006]
• Baleia (band) - Vocalist for the band (Various band recordings) [Early 2000s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia