Tim Maia

Brazilian guitarist and singer, known as the father of Brazilian soul music.

Born: 28 September 1942 in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Died: 15 March 1998 in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (aged 55).

Maia fundamentally changed the music scene in Brazil, introducing modern black music from the US to national pop music, linking funk, samba, and baião, bringing soul closer to bossa nova and opening windows and doors to new forms of music that were not Tropicalist, nor MPB, nor rock n' roll, but were quintessentially Brazilian.

In 1974, he founded Seroma, the first independent music label in Brazil, the label name was taken from his initials: Sebastião Rodrigues Maia.

Many of his songs have been recorded by artists such as Skank, Lulu Santos, Ara Ketu, Os Paralamas Do Sucesso, Marisa Monte, Elis Regina, and Gal Costa, amongst others.

Adoptive father of singer/songwriter Léo Maia, father of Carmelo Maia and uncle of singer/producer Ed Motta.