Brazilian SuPerstar Marisa Monte Comes To Newark This June

Singer-songwriter Marisa Monte, one of Brazil's most adventurous and internationally acclaimed stars for over 30 years, will be performing at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Friday, June 23rd at 8pm.

The most acclaimed female vocalist to arise in Brazil during the 1990s, Marisa Monte is known best for her exquisite voice as well as her international popularity, yet she's also accomplished in other realms such as songwriting, production, and collaboration.

Monte first rose to acclaim in 1989, when her debut album - a live theatrical performance incorporating an eclectic array of songs, past and present - became a sensation in Brazil. It was her subsequent studio albums, however, Mais (1991) and Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor de Rosa e Carvão (1994), that truly established her as a talented artist. For these albums, Monte formed creative partnerships with Arto Lindsay, Arnaldo Antunes, Nando Reis, and Carlinhos Brown, each of whom would work with her for years to come. Moreover, a 1997 double album, Barulhinho Bom, showcased her charismatic command of a concert stage.

In 2000 she released Memórias, Crônicas, e Declaracões de Amor on her own Phonomotor Records label and enjoyed her highest level of success to date, notably winning her first Latin Grammy. Two years later she released Tribalistas (2002), a trio effort also featuring Antunes and Brown, on Phonomotor, and enjoyed yet more success. The supergroup recording sold well over a million copies, spun off chart-topping singles, found success in Europe, and was critically beloved all the same. Following such dizzy heights of success, Monte receded from the limelight, becoming a mother and focusing on more challenging music.

Even if her popularity waned a bit with age, her credentials among critics only grew, especially internationally. While Monte generally is classified as an MPB artist, her music is fluid and ever-changing, to the point where such labels seem futile. Rather, it's her voice that is her calling card. "One of the most perfect in the world" is how Carlinhos Brown once described it to Larry Rohter of The New York Times. "It's like the wind: soft, gentle, and caressing, but it messes with everything in its path."

Tickets to see Marisa Monte go on-sale Friday, December 16 at 10:00 AM. Reserve tickets by visiting NJPAC.org, 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) or by visiting the NJPAC Box Office at 1 Center Street, Newark, New Jersey.