Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) today signed Brazilian superstar Marisa Monte / Monte Songs to an exclusive, global administration deal.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Monte is a Brazilian music icon and highly accomplished songwriter, singer, composer, instrumentalist and producer. Over the course of her career, she has released several No.1 albums including ‘Mais,’ ‘Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor-de-Rosa e Carvão,’ ‘Barulhinho Bom,’ ‘Memórias, Crônicas, e Declarações de Amor,’ ‘Tribalistas,’ ‘Infinito Particular,’ ‘Coleção’ and live albums ‘MM’ and ‘Verdade Uma Ilu’ão.’ Rolling Stone named ‘MM’ and ‘Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor-de-Rosa e Carvão- on their list of the 100 best albums of Brazilian music.
Monte’s superb musical versatility spans Brazilian pop, pop rock, samba, jazz, folk, and opera. She has countless hit songs such as “Ainda Bem,” “Depois,” "Beija Eu,” “Amor I Love You,” “Não Vá Embora,” “Já Sei Namorar,” “Velha Infância,” “Passe em Casa” and “Não é Fácil.”
Said Monte: “I am very happy for this partnership between my catalog as a composer and a company with a female soul. Universal Music Publishing is globally chaired by a woman. UMPG Latin is led by a strong, female president who is surrounded by a capable and talented team. Care, delicacy, empathy and all the feminine intelligence at the service of music. Long live the balance and the union of forces! Thank you, Universal Music Publishing!”
Alexandra Lioutikoff, President Latin America and US Latin for UMPG, said: “Marisa Monte is one of the biggest artists in Brazil and her exquisite voice is renowned internationally. She’s a songwriter, artist and producer whose songs are celebrated by fans of all ages, making her a true icon in art and culture. We’re very proud to welcome her to our family and our team is eager to deliver creative opportunities to spread her music all over the world, as she deserves.”
An esteemed producer, Monte has also worked on acclaimed albums by other artists, such as ‘Omelete Man’ by Carlinhos Brown and ‘Tudo Azul’ by Velha Guarda da Portela. She has collaborated creatively with musicians including Arnaldo Antunes, Nando Reis, Arto Lindsay Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Marc Ribot, Bernie Worrell, Philip Glass, Devendra Banhart, Rodrigo Amarante, and more.
Simon Fuller, Monte’s manager and CEO of Monte Songs, said: “We are very happy to be part of the UMPG family, one of the world’s leading music publishing companies that will certainly contribute to spread the Monte Songs catalogue all over the world.”
In 2017, fifteen years after the worldwide success of her first album, Monte, Arnaldo Antunes and Carlinhos Brown gathered once more to make the Tribalistas authorial album, released with a striking live broadcasting on Facebook of the three artists watched simultaneously by six million fans in 52 countries. Within the repertoire, she has hits such as “Aliança”, “Fora da Memória” and “Diáspora”.
In 2018, the trio embarked on its first tour, encompassing 35 shows in 29 cities and more than 250 thousand viewers in Brazil, Europe, United States and South America. One year later, Monte, Antunes and Brown released the album and video ‘Tribalistas Ao Vivo,’ which they produced and recorded at Allianz Parque in São Paulo.
Among her many awards, Monte has won four Latin Grammys, seven Brazilian MTV Video Music Awards, nine Multishow Música Brasileira awards, five APCAs, and six TIM Música Awards.