Flora Purim has been a cornerstone of fusion and Brazilian jazz for over 50 years. Her once-in-a-generation six-octave voice has earned her three Grammy nominations: two for Best Female Jazz Performance and, for the forthcoming 2023 Awards, Best Latin Jazz Album for ‘If You Will’ (Strut Records). She has also won Downbeat Magazine’s Best Female Singer accolade on four occasions.
Her musical partners have included Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie and her husband Airto Moreira, with whom she has collaborated on over 40 albums since moving with him from her native Rio De Janeiro to New York in 1967. In New York, she and Airto became central to the period of musical expression and creativity which produced the first commercially successful electric jazz groups of the ‘70s. During the mid-‘80s, Flora and Airto resumed their musical partnership to record two albums for Concord – Humble People and The Magicians – for which she received
Grammy nominations. In 1992 she sang on two Grammy-winning albums – Planet Drum with the Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart (Best World Music Album) and Dizzie Gillespie’s United Nations Orchestra (Best Jazz Album). In September of 2002, Brazil’s President, Fernando Henrique Cardoso awarded Flora Purim and Airto Moreira the “Order of Rio Branco”, one of Brazil’s highest honours.
Praise for ‘If You Will’ :
“The first lady of Brazilian music is back with a celebratory album that keeps it in the family. A well polished gem.” The Observer
Editor’s Choice: “One Of 2022’s most exciting releases to date.” Jazzwise
“Undimmed vocal prowess from a Brazilian jazz-pop legend.” Uncut
“A nimble, inventive vocalist steeped in the mystical.” New York Times
“A reconsideration of what’s come forward and a confident step forward.” The Wire
“Bursting at the seams with undeniable class.” Shindig
“Purim still sounds incredible, inspired and passionate about the music that has created a long-lasting legacy for herself as well as the lineage of Brazilian jazz music.” UK Vibe
“Flora Purim is jazz royalty” Bandcamp Daily
“Flora switches at will from focused explorations of the lyrics to swooping, ecstatic, wordless cartwheels in the air.” Jazziz
