One of Milton Nascimento's greatest
Maria, Maria is a song about strength, best known in the voice of Milton Nascimento, in a 1978 recording. I grew up listening to this song and, since I was little, I could identify my mother as one of the many Marias of our great Brazil – women who struggle to raise their children with work double shifts and, in most cases, have little or no support from their partner.
In our society, where there is still much to be done, these same women still need to maintain the joy on their faces and the grace that is taught to them from childhood as part of a code of conduct.
Composed by Milton and Fernando Brant, the song was a tribute to Milton's biological mother – a widowed woman from Minas Gerais who struggled to raise her son and keep him studying with her job as a maid. She died of tuberculosis when Milton was approximately 4 years old, but left a legacy to her son: an example of a person with determination and tenderness.
Enjoy the fantastic acoustic version of “Maria, Maria”, released in 2018 by Milton Nascimento:
Simple, but from the heart
I recorded this cover in 2014 as a simple tribute to my mother and all the women who daily face great challenges and increasingly conquer their space in the different contexts of our country:
This is a cover made from my soul and with all the feelings I have nurtured in my life for the appreciation and recognition of a historically removed space. May we reflect more every day on the greatness of equity, inclusion and love. And may we always act for a world with less struggle and more collaboration. 💞
“Maria, Maria” in the voice of Elis Regina
I couldn't finish this text without bringing this song performed by a woman who knew its power very well. In Elis Regina's voice, a strong song becomes an ecstatic roar. The immortal Pimentinha always knew what she was doing:
For me, it is always a great joy to be able to talk about what I believe through this influential channel that is music. Even better is being able to mention here these great names who immortalized powerful songs of admiration, strength and celebration.
Discover more of these songs here on the website! There is a lot of good music to be discovered in the articles and a universe of extraordinary artists waiting to make their messages reach more people. Let's go? 😉