Vanessa de Maria was born in the small town of Sarandi, in the northern area of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
She discovered folklore and literature influenced by her older brother, indefatigable follower of Rio Grande do Sul poet and troubadour Jaime Caetano Braun and admirer of the great gaucho work of Argentinean writer José Hernandez, Martín Fierro. At night, she listened on the family radio to Uruguayan and Argentinean stations, which made her fall in love with Latin American folk music.
At 20 years old, she traveled to Spain. First Barcelona and then Madrid, where she lived for eight years. She mingled with Latin American musicians, composers and folk artists, performing on the stages of the Spanish capital. Back to Brazil, she performed in Porto Alegre, meeting with great acclaim from the audience and media. That same year, she was invited for several guest appearances in albums by local and international artists, and traveled to Buenos Aires, the Argentinean capital, taking up residence there and producing her first album, Perfume del Sur, which features the South American folk songs that charmed her early years. The album counts on the musical direction by Argentinean guitar player Nicolás Brizuela and the participation of other great musicians from the country, being scheduled for release in Argentina and Brazil in April 2007.
Joining Vanessa will be guitarist and frequent Taller performer Julio Santillan, and the children's dance troupe Brazil Tche
About the Brasil Tchê Troupe The mission of the Brasil Tchê Troupe is "to teach our american children about their Brazilian heritage while promoting their sense of citizenship, pride and commitment to the community."
During 2007, the troupe represented our Brazilian heritage at the YMCA International Day, Basking Ridge, NJ; Ana Maria Machado, Machado de Assis Award, Brazilian Public Library, NY; Portuguese Festival Day, Newark, NJ; BrasilFest, Seattle, WA; 3rd. National Gaucho Convention, Los Angeles, CA; Brazilian Day, Danbury, CT; Statewide Cultural Festival, Trenton, NJ; and in many other fund raising events in our community. In 2008, the troupe was the winner for the 11th Annual Brazilian International PRESS AWARD—Outstanding Dance Performance Today, more than 25 children, from 3 to 14 years old, participate in our troupe. Their hard work has been recognized. They are very proud to be the winners of the 2008 Brazilian International Press Award.
