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Sabrina Malheiros was born in 1979 in Niterói, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. From an extremely early age age displayed a prodigious talent for music: as a preschooler she was already experimenting on the piano, by the age of five she was attending a music conservatory, and at 7 years old she had completed her first studio recording. While most kids were playing games she preferred to hang out at recording sessions with some of the greats of Brazilian music including Tim Maia, Raul Seixas, and Ivan Lins, giving her unparalleled firsthand knowledge of the Brazilian music scene. By the time she was a teenager she had formed her own soul outfit, Zitrip, and sang in a reggae group before going on to form the duo Superágua, which resulted in a performance at the TIM festival in Rio, Brazil's most important music festival. She was then invited to record by UFO in Japan, which alerted an international audience to her talent, before she was snapped up by Far Out Recordings.
It shouldn't come as any surprise that music was a natural choice for Sabrina -- it surrounded her growing up. Her grandfather played with Sérgio Mendes and father, Alex Malheiros, is one of the founding members of the legendary Azymuth. The musical influences at home were varied: "You could hear a bit of everything . . . lots of jazz, bossa nova and folk music. Even from a young age I adored Bossa Nova. According to my dad, who had a recording Studio, I wanted to start recording very early on; he has got recordings of me singing when I was Just 3 years old. My family already knew that I was destined to become a singer; it was the right path for me. When I was 7 my dad recorded a track for his second solo album and it was my first official recording in a studio, Sonoviso, in Rio. I am sure I never thought of any other career but when I was 11 I recorded with Azymuth, then things started becoming more serious."
Sabrina chose to play guitar and decided to enroll at Villa-Lobos School of Music in Rio de Janeiro. "The classes were often very theoretical but the best part of the experience was swapping knowledge with other musicians I met there. This introduced new ideas to me. There were workshops from percussion to choral. It was a very productive time for me and gave me a chance to participate more fully in the musical scene in Rio, which led to new projects, recordings and even the idea for my first record with Far Out Recordings. Joe Davis (the founder of Far Out) was there to record an album with my dad but the idea started to transform into one for my own album when he discovered that I too wrote music. One day we were listening to the records on Far Out Recordings and I loved the sound of Viper Squad and that's how we came up with the idea of bringing Daniel out to produce the album."
Apart from the formal side of Sabrina's musical education, there was also a hugely inform element which was perhaps even more important in shaping her style: "My dad recorded with lots of Brazilian artists including the likes of Tim Maia, Raul Seixas, Ivan Lins, Brazuka and Simone -- I had the chance to meet some of them and also the musicians who played on the recording. I think being able to observe these people allowed me to absorb a bit of their musical energy. It's not just about recording but also observing other musicians, that's what my dad always taught me. He plays guitar really well and I learnt a lot observing him even these days. I have been greatly influenced by the way he plays, apart from the formal studies it was from my dad that I really learnt to play, there is a lot of his musicality in me. He also said he had a great musical affinity with me and it is good to keep receiving this influence and it is even better that nowadays I can even make music with him."
Her next lead vocal role came when she was 19 years old on the track "Pôr do Sol," taken from the acclaimed Japanese acid jazz act United Future Organisation's fifth album, V (Exceptional). This was followed a year later with a second guest appearance with Azymuth, this time singing lead vocals on a track her father wrote for her, called "Papa." Also that year she was invited by the pianist Marvio Ciribelli to record some songs for his soundtrack to A Terceira Morte de Joaquim Bolívar. Sabrina recorded four songs for the film, including the lead track with Paulo Williams, "Dancing in Rio."
In 2002 Sabrina Malheiros was asked to perform on the track "Superágua," produced by famous Brazilian DJs and producers DJ Jonas and Ulisses Cappelletti. Described as a slice of balearic bliss, the track was licensed to many chill-out compilations worldwide; the Reverberations label also licensed the track and turned it into a dancefloor monster. That same year Sabrina began recording tracks for what would become her debut album, Equilibria. "I tried to select and create songs that would show all the musical influences I had received throughout my life," she recalls. Supported by an outstanding cast of players including all of Azymuth, Kiko Continentino, Sidinho Moreira, Renato Franco, Léo Gandelman, and Zé Carlos, Sabrina finished the album in January 2004. She also recorded her third outing with Azymuth, dueting alongside the legendary Roberto Menescal for "Pra Zé," which appeared on Azymuth's 2004 Brazilian Soul album. Later that year the debut single from Equilibria, "Estação Verão," was released with a remix by Kenny Dope. It was the best-selling 12" for Far Out Recordings since the '90s and was featured on the 2004 Kenny Dope Presents Brazilika album. Equilibria was released in 2005 and was Sabrina's debut album for Far Out Recordings. It was written by herself and her father. The album was long awaited and the critics were waiting to see what the daughter of a legend could come up with. The album achieved great success and was a combination of brilliant songwriting and contemporary electronics and beats.
Sabrina went on to make her UK debut appearance performing at The Jazz Café in May 2005. This was followed by many live performances and gigs which were all well received. In 2006 Far Out Recordings decided to release Vibrasons, which was a CD full of remixes and varied versions of Sabrina's songs; Sabrina felt that the album had given a new life to some of her songs. After releasing singles from her best-selling debut Sabrina came out with New Morning her third album for Far Out Recordings (FARO 131CD). She wanted the album to have a more organic vibe, resulting in a soulful blend of bossa, disco, and house. As expected the album played host to various well-known Brazilian musicians; her musical journey was taking off and she wasn't the only one along for the ride. After the great success of New Morning Far Out Recordings decided to release a deluxe edition in 2009L; the songs were reworked and some previously unreleased material was added. It was a stunning rework and received positive feedback and press coverage.
2011 saw the release of Sabrina's third studio album, Dreaming (FARO 161CD/LP), which received praise from the likes of BBC Music's Kevin Le Gendre, who described the album as "an assured confirmation of the potential that marked her 2005 debut." Dreaming was released alongside an extensive schedule of UK-wide tour dates. She also sang the Brazilian national anthem to an audience of millions before kickoff at a televised soccer match between Brazil and Scotland at the Emirates Stadium.
Six years later, in 2017, Sabrina returns with her fourth album, Clareia (FARO 199CD/LP). Having taken a considerably longer break than ever before between studio albums, Sabrina took her time to record her most uplifting and danceable album to date. As always, Sabrina has enlisted her father Alex Malheiros -- bassist of samba jazz-funk legends Azymuth -- and visionary London-based producer Daniel Maunick (aka Dokta Venom), son of Incognito's Bluey. Regarding the album's title, Sabrina explains, "It means to clear, light, brighten or illuminate, which, after seeing Brazil and the rest of the world go through some very difficult times, is exactly what the writing of this album brought to my life." Sabrina composed all of the tracks, some of them in collaboration with her father and producer Maunick. Written and recorded in Niterói, Brazil, overlooking Guanabara Bay and Rio's beaches, mountains, and forests, the music basks in its surroundings and sings of ecological beauty, peace, and sanctuary. Echoing Sabrina's emphasis on clarity, Alex notes that "the album's title represents an appeal to the minds of our civilization today, to clear our thoughts for good and for peace."
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12"
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JD 040EP
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Three major players from the now multi-generational broken-beat scene: Henry Wu, Dego (2000Black), and IG Culture have assembled for an irresistible bruk-samba trip. Brazilian rhythms have always been foundational influences on the broken-beat and future jazz movements, and this EP continues to explore these connections. The joyful samba-soul in the title track of Sabrina Malheiros's latest album (FARO 199CD/LP, 2017) features the bass and keys of Brazilian jazz-funk legends Azymuth, and is inspired by the quest for clarity. This EP beautifully ruptures the "clarity" in style, each crafting the breezy Brazilian beats into their own distinct brand of future-thinking club-funk.
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CD
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FARO 199CD
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Having made her mark on Brazil's rich musical legacy with three best-selling albums to date, Rio's original nu-bossa queen returns with a tour de force of golden-era Brazilian soul music. From the spiritual swing of the early pioneers of modern samba, to the dizzying hedonism of Brazil's eighties disco/boogie craze, Clareia is a life-affirming journey through the rich and varied sounds of Sabrina Malheiros. For her most up-lifting and danceable album to date, Sabrina has (as always) enlisted her father Alex Malheiros -- bassist of samba jazz-funk legends Azymuth -- and visionary London based producer Daniel Maunick (aka Dokta Venom), son of Incognito's Bluey. With her debut album Equilibria (2005), Sabrina arrived on a wave of instant acclaim. Sabrina's innovative nu-bossa sound would continue on her sophomore album 2008's New Morning (FARO 131CD), declared the "best album of summer 2008" by Evening Standard, before 2011's Dreaming (FARO 161CD/LP). Six years on, Sabrina returns with Clareia. "It means to clear, light, brighten or illuminate, which, after seeing Brazil and the rest of the world go through some very difficult times, is exactly what the writing of this album brought to my life." Packed out with high-octane swinging samba-soul, like the title-track and "Salve O Mar", the album also features some bottom-heavy Brazilian boogie cuts, like rejoicing album opener "Celebrar" which harks back to some of Marcos Valle's cult '80s disco output, and "Sol Ceu E Mar", a Tania Maria-esque future classic of scorching Latin-funk. Mellower moments are found in "Em Paz", on which Sabrina's beguiling harmonies find an anchor in the rhythmic acoustic guitar of Ze Carlos', who Sabrina heralds as being "the best guitarist I have ever worked with". Azymuth's keyboardist Kiko Continentino's deft Rhodes, piano, organ, and synth playing, add ever more textures of distinctly Brazilian brilliance throughout, while tropical brass and flute arrangements on cool bossa-jazz movers "Vai Maria" and "Sandore", come from Brazilian saxophone legend Leo Gandleman, a man who has worked with everyone from Gal Costa to Gilberto Gil. The rhythm section combines Daniel Maunick's seamless drum programming and the organic polyrhythms of Brazilian percussion legend Jakare, all punctuated by Alex Malheiros's inimitable (occasionally slapped) jazz-funk bass, giving the album its irresistibly danceable pulse. Clareia is an inter-generational masterclass of Brazil's soulful spectrum, led by a pioneering voice of today's scene on the very top of her game.
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FARO 199LP
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LP version. 180 gram vinyl. Having made her mark on Brazil's rich musical legacy with three best-selling albums to date, Rio's original nu-bossa queen returns with a tour de force of golden-era Brazilian soul music. From the spiritual swing of the early pioneers of modern samba, to the dizzying hedonism of Brazil's eighties disco/boogie craze, Clareia is a life-affirming journey through the rich and varied sounds of Sabrina Malheiros. For her most up-lifting and danceable album to date, Sabrina has (as always) enlisted her father Alex Malheiros -- bassist of samba jazz-funk legends Azymuth -- and visionary London based producer Daniel Maunick (aka Dokta Venom), son of Incognito's Bluey. With her debut album Equilibria (2005), Sabrina arrived on a wave of instant acclaim. Sabrina's innovative nu-bossa sound would continue on her sophomore album 2008's New Morning (FARO 131CD), declared the "best album of summer 2008" by Evening Standard, before 2011's Dreaming (FARO 161CD/LP). Six years on, Sabrina returns with Clareia. "It means to clear, light, brighten or illuminate, which, after seeing Brazil and the rest of the world go through some very difficult times, is exactly what the writing of this album brought to my life." Packed out with high-octane swinging samba-soul, like the title-track and "Salve O Mar", the album also features some bottom-heavy Brazilian boogie cuts, like rejoicing album opener "Celebrar" which harks back to some of Marcos Valle's cult '80s disco output, and "Sol Ceu E Mar", a Tania Maria-esque future classic of scorching Latin-funk. Mellower moments are found in "Em Paz", on which Sabrina's beguiling harmonies find an anchor in the rhythmic acoustic guitar of Ze Carlos', who Sabrina heralds as being "the best guitarist I have ever worked with". Azymuth's keyboardist Kiko Continentino's deft Rhodes, piano, organ, and synth playing, add ever more textures of distinctly Brazilian brilliance throughout, while tropical brass and flute arrangements on cool bossa-jazz movers "Vai Maria" and "Sandore", come from Brazilian saxophone legend Leo Gandleman, a man who has worked with everyone from Gal Costa to Gilberto Gil. The rhythm section combines Daniel Maunick's seamless drum programming and the organic polyrhythms of Brazilian percussion legend Jakare, all punctuated by Alex Malheiros's inimitable (occasionally slapped) jazz-funk bass, giving the album its irresistibly danceable pulse. Clareia is an inter-generational masterclass of Brazil's soulful spectrum, led by a pioneering voice of today's scene on the very top of her game.
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CD
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FARO 161CD
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2011 release. Dreaming, the third original studio album from Rio's nu-bossa star, Sabrina Malheiros, combines the minimal electronic soul inspired sound of her debut Equilibria (2005) with the sweeping organic Brazilian pop of New Morning (FARO 131, 2008) and traditional sounds of Brazil. Linking past and present Malheiros mixes seductive styles to create a truly original sound for the future. Dreaming is her finest work yet confirming Malheiros as one of the finest female Brazilian songwriters of her generation. Featuring leading Brazilian musicians including Alex Malheiros (Azymuth); Jesse Sadoc (Marcos Valle); Alfredo Cardim (Joyce); Robertinho Silva (Milton Nascimento) and written and co-produced with Sabrina by partner Daniel 'Venom' Maunick (Viper Squad) the record finds a beautiful place between nu-Rio, classic Brazil, and the complex melodic electronic music emerging from the post-dubstep and post-drum & bass London soundscape. As the daughter of Alex Malheiros, bass player of legendary Brazilian group Azymuth, Sabrina was born to sing bossa nova and write ground-breaking music. Her classical contemporary Brazilian blend takes a number of surprising routes. On "Fragil", Sabrina employs renowned samba percussionist Robertinho Silva to deliver her delicate take on Brazil's African routes. "Bobeira" is a breezy chill-out while its "Digital Dreaming Reprise" opener adds Maunick's deep beats and addictive synths - those warping lines continuing flawlessly in to the following tracks. Sabrina's special pattern for writing music (alone, with her father Alex and partner Daniel) brings recurring chords and sequences with a huge variety of influences and ideas. Sabrina shows just how far this writing talent stretches as she arks back to '70s Brazil with the dreamy acid-folk "Lirio De Venus (Interlude)" before bringing things right in to modern electronic-era with big dub bass, scratching together with trademark soft acoustic guitar and harmonies on "Paranoia". Altogether, Malheiros's third full-length record is a lyrical and melodic dream to take her star far higher.
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LP
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FARO 161LP
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LP version. 180 gram vinyl. 2011 release. Dreaming, the third original studio album from Rio's nu-bossa star, Sabrina Malheiros, combines the minimal electronic soul inspired sound of her debut Equilibria (2005) with the sweeping organic Brazilian pop of New Morning (FARO 131, 2008) and traditional sounds of Brazil. Linking past and present Malheiros mixes seductive styles to create a truly original sound for the future. Dreaming is her finest work yet confirming Malheiros as one of the finest female Brazilian songwriters of her generation. Featuring leading Brazilian musicians including Alex Malheiros (Azymuth); Jesse Sadoc (Marcos Valle); Alfredo Cardim (Joyce); Robertinho Silva (Milton Nascimento) and written and co-produced with Sabrina by partner Daniel 'Venom' Maunick (Viper Squad) the record finds a beautiful place between nu-Rio, classic Brazil, and the complex melodic electronic music emerging from the post-dubstep and post-drum & bass London soundscape. As the daughter of Alex Malheiros, bass player of legendary Brazilian group Azymuth, Sabrina was born to sing bossa nova and write ground-breaking music. Her classical contemporary Brazilian blend takes a number of surprising routes. On "Fragil", Sabrina employs renowned samba percussionist Robertinho Silva to deliver her delicate take on Brazil's African routes. "Bobeira" is a breezy chill-out while its "Digital Dreaming Reprise" opener adds Maunick's deep beats and addictive synths - those warping lines continuing flawlessly in to the following tracks. Sabrina's special pattern for writing music (alone, with her father Alex and partner Daniel) brings recurring chords and sequences with a huge variety of influences and ideas. Sabrina shows just how far this writing talent stretches as she arks back to '70s Brazil with the dreamy acid-folk "Lirio De Venus (Interlude)" before bringing things right in to modern electronic-era with big dub bass, scratching together with trademark soft acoustic guitar and harmonies on "Paranoia". Altogether, Malheiros's third full-length record is a lyrical and melodic dream to take her star far higher.
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CD
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FARO 131CD
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2008 release. Following her best-selling debut album Equilibria (2005), singer-songwriter Sabrina Malheiros returns with New Morning, an album of 21st century bossa-soul that mixes bossa, samba, disco and house together to create a sophisticated and sublime album. New Morning is what Sabrina Malheiros describes as a "more organic" follow up to the critically acclaimed Equilibria. Armed with a strong caliber of musicians, Sabrina Malheiros embarked on a rite of passage that resulted in an album that can only be described as a masterpiece. Sabrina Malheiros is a highly accomplished young musician who has a musical heritage that is deeply rooted in Brazilian musical history. As the daughter of Alex Malheiros, the bassist from the legendary Azymuth, Sabrina is clearly under no illusion as to the influence this had in her musical journey. New Morning features an all-star Brazilian team including: Jose Roberto Bertrami, Ivan Conti, Zé Carlos, Idriss Boudrioua and Paulinho Braga as well as legendary Brazilian arranger and composer Arthur Verocai. The album was produced by Daniel Maunick, who also produced Sabrina's previous album, yet the production on this album shows Maunick's evolution into a highly versatile and skillful producer. With '70s inspired sweeping samba-soul songs nestled in between boogie-tinged jazz, house rhythms and funky cinematic-bossa breaks and featuring the unmistakable vocals of Sabrina, New Morning sees Rio's original nu-bossa star recreate the honesty of her debut but with a new sense of maturity and sophistication. The album erupts with the bubbling bossa samba hybrid "Brisa Mar" with lyrics co-written by her father Alex Malheiros which were inspired by the sea. This track alongside "Sintonia" reflects the powerful partnership of Sabrina's writing abilities combined with the grand string arrangements of the renowned Arthur Verocai resulting in songs that would sit comfortably in any classic film score. "Connexão" is an offering of cool, sexy rhythmic house featuring the prominent afro-samba guitar playing of Ze Carlos evoking the swing of Jorge Ben. This song defines how well the partnership between the duo works in unison to make an innovative sound and also acts as a nod to the electronic touches of her previous album, Equilibria. "It's Too Late" is a great bossa nova rendition of the Carol King classic. New Morning, as the name suggests, acts as fresh beginning for Sabrina. Classic Brazilian songwriting combined with the contemporary production.
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12"
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JD 035EP
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2015 release. The second in the Brazilika 12" series takes a highlight from Sabrina Malheiros's 2011 album Dreaming (FARO 161CD/LP) - the blissed-out, sun-soaked samba classic "Opará" - and touches it up with three scorching remixes from UK dance veteran Ashley Beedle. Produced under his Afrikanz On Marz moniker, Beedle's remix brings all the right elements of the original to the fore. The result is three peak-¬time excursions into percussive, soulful house on a stylish, cosmic Brazilian party tip, infused with rich, warm Rhodes, synth and flute throughout.
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