Biography

A dynamic, Brazilian-born singer, composer and actress, Thalma de Freitas is known for her genre-bending mix of Brazilian traditions, pop, R&B, jazz, and Latin music. She first emerged as a theater performer in the early '90s before gaining widespread fame as an actress in film and television. She has also released her own albums, including 1996's Thalma and 2004's Thalma de Freitas, both of which showcase her vital mix of contemporary and traditional sounds. In 2004, Thalma released her sophomore solo album, Thalma de Freitas, accompanied by the jazz trio formed by her father Laercio de Freitas on piano, Bebeto Castilho on bass and Wilson das Neves on drums. Along with her own work, De Freitas has collaborated with a bevy of artists, including Quantic, Céu,Caetano Veloso, Madlib, and Bebel Gilberto, to name a few. In 2012, she represented Brazil by performing alongside Carlinhos Brown in the closing ceremony of the London Paralympics. That same year, she relocated to Los Angeles where she further expanded her sound, working regularly with her own ensemble. She sang on three of saxophonist Kamasi Washington's critically acclaimed albums: 2015's The Epic, 2017's Harmony of Difference, and 2018's Heaven & Earth. In 2019, Freitas earned her first Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album for her work on John Finbury's Sorte! ~ Matt Collar