Maria Joao (born Maria Joao Monteiro Grancha June 27, 1956, Lisbon, Portugal) is a Portuguese jazz singer. Her vocal flexibility and improvisational abilities are what make her stand out. Although she is primarily a jazz musician, her music includes a mixture of avant-garde electronica, jazz, folk/ethnic, and other genres. Her main musical partner is the Portuguese pianist Mario Laginha. However, she has also worked with numerous musicians over her career including Aki Takase and Trilok Gurtu as well as Ralph Towner, Dino Saluzzi (Kai Eckhardt), Gilberto Gil, and Lenine. She is currently collaborating with Mario Laginha on a long-term basis, and also working with David Linx, a Belgian singer, and OGRE (a Portuguese jazz and electronica group). From Wikipedia
