She has an extensive career as an actress and jazz singer. After a period of growth and maturity as an artist, sh decided that this was the ideal time to release the first studio album with 11 tracks composed and sung by her, but more are still to come. Untitled, yet, but will be released in principle before the end of the year.
I know you are on the studio to record your first album. Why only now?
Mariana Norton: It's a good question, I do not know there were other opportunities, but I felt I wanted to record my originals. Other things came to my way, I wanted to study, because I'm challenging always myself.
It is a matter of maturity?
MN: Maybe, I feel I was eager to write, but that is a good time, I feel mature on this record. All songs are composed by me, the lyrics also and I'm happy. I think it was a route.
This work is inspired in jazz music?
MN: It is not necessarily a jazz record. When I composed the songs for this album I limited myself to think what I wanted to hear and would like to sing, so I think it is a personal style that brings together all the influences that I appreciate. I like jazz, soul, pop and rock. I have an eclectic taste and this album has a little bit of everything. There are songs in Portuguese and English. I do not know if it will be a tradicional jazz record or contemporary, that is up to the critics to judge.
Approaching your career on jazz, you think this style of music is no longer restricted?It become more democratic? And when you noticed this change?
MN: I noticed this change for some years now. Imagine, when I entered the Hot Club for the first time I was 17 and was clearly the younger girl, I felt a little embarrassed. Today I am a teacher and currently have 15, 16 years old students. I wish that in my time people had awakened early for this musical style and wanted to learn music, although there are few options, you rather have classical or jazz. Then I felt the difference, a greater interest of younger generations, concerts and people.
It is a better-informed public?
MN: I do not know, I think it has also to do with the fact that there are more records and Portuguese musicians playing jazz. There are more people who play. There are several types of jazz, from the more diverse to the more vocal. I think it also became less intellectual with the passage of time, there was a more difficult phase earlyer, and today there are a bit of everything. This leads people to go look, go to clubs to hear this language and have more curiosity about a more complex music, more instrumental.
Interestingly in Portugal only hear female voices. Have you question yourself about this phenomenon?
MN: I can guarantee that will change. I some of my male students singer in the Hot Club and in the superior school of music now some are also beginning to appear, I think that they are need it. I have no idea why that is. The only reason I can think of is shame, but I hope there are more and more working and selling music albuns.
What are the names that influenced you in music, which are your base?
MN: They are not necessarily jazz at the base when I was younger and started to have my own taste, Björk struck me very much. I heard her first album at the age of twelve, called "debut". It was her first solo work . It marked me because it is very original. Then there are many female voices that influenced me like Erica Badu, Tory Amos, Fiona Apple, who are not from the jazz world, but in addition to singers, are songwriters and instrumentalists. I rediscovered Elis Regina and Ella Fiztgerald. Then when I was immersed in jazz, Julie London, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, there are many to choose from and also men, Tony Bennett.
When you knew you wanted to be a singer?
MN: I do not know, I always sang a lot in my childhood and as an adolescent. But, I sang to me and did not know that people might like to hear me. Gradually I realized this and was very happy. I believe that the claim of been an actress first began, although the music accompany me daily. Later, a friend practically forced me to sing in his bar and from that moment on I felt a greater desire to be a singer.
And your songwriting, when it began to manifest?
MN: It started naturally of course, musicians, at least me, always want to improvise and create new melodies. I always invented songs, even with my brothers. The first thing I wrote was for an album that was called "PT Project", which was a projection of new talents and I joined with my friend, because it was required. To be featured in this album you had to sign an original theme. Once I was in New York, I started writing because I needed to express feelings and emotions, music was the vehicle, was vital, as a relaxation after a day of intense classes. It felt good, and accompanied me was a sort of soundtrack to my life.
http://www.mariana-norton.com/live/
