Maria Mazzotta is one of the finest folk singers in southern Italy and a leading world music act. Throughout her career she has collaborated with celebrated artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Ibrahim Maalouf, Rita Marcotulli, Ballake Sissoko, Piers Faccini, Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara, Mannarino, Hysni (Niko) Zela e Fanfara Tirana, Eva Quartet, Klapa Otok, Bojken Lako , Raiz, Roy Paci, Roberto Ottaviano, Raffaele Casarano, Bijan Chemirani and Mario Arcari.
For fifteen years (2000-2015) she was a member of Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, an essential southern Italian band. Maria recorded six albums with Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino and appeared in the most important world music festivals.
To further her diverse vocal techniques, she met Sayeeduddin Dagar, one of the best known Indian Dhrupad singers, and American jazz wonder Bobby McFerrin, who chose her to duet with in the 2008 edition of “Bari in Jazz”.
In addition to her interest in Italian and Indian music, Maria Mazzotta was also fascinated by Eastern European music. At just 21 years old, she started doing musical research with several musicians from various countries and ethnicities: Greeks, Albanians, Macedonians, Croats, Romanians, Bulgarians and Gypsies (Roma) that she met in her numerous concerts.
Maria started a longtime duo partnership with Albanian cellist Redi Hasa, developing a cross-cultural synergy under the name Hasa-Mazzotta. They released two albums as Hasa-Mazzotta: Plenilunio (2008) and Ura (2014).
In 2006, Maria was part of the Notte della Taranta Orchestra conducted by Maestro Concertatore Ambrogio Sparagna. From 2011 to 2014 she became the solo vocalist of the same show, directed by maestros Ludovico Einaudi, Goran Bregovic and Giovanni Sollima.
Since 2013, she has collaborated, as a vocalist, with the Miguel Angel Berna dance company (Miguel Berna is a leading Spanish dancer and choreographer) participating in the shows “Mediterráneo”, “La jota e la taranta”, “Cardia”, “Dos Tierras” performing at top international theaters, including Olympic Theater in Rome, Petruzzelli Theater in Bari, Canal Theater in Madrid, and Suzanne Dellal in Tel Aviv.
In 2015, she participated as a singer in Carlos Saura’s film “La jota”.
In 2020 Maria Mazzotta released the album Amore Amaro (Bitter Love).
Moving forward, in 2021, French ensemble Pulcinella and Maria Mazzotta released a collaboration titled Grifone. The album topped the World Music Charts Europe in December 2021 and January 2022.
In September 2022, Maria Mazzotta released a music video of the song “Marinaresca” featuring a new lineup. The song combines post rock electric guitar with Maria’s powerful delivery.
The 2022 quartet includes accordionist Antonino De Luca, Ernesto Nobili on guitars and Cristiano Della Monica on percussion.
Maria Mazzotta’s Onde marks a significant milestone for the artist, as she presents a fresh lineup and a new musical direction. The album, features collaborations with international artists Bombino and Volker Goetze, merging the vitality of peasant tradition with post-rock and world music influences.
Discography:
Pizzica pizzica, with Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (2001)
Alla riva del mare, with Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Salento Altra Music, 2002)
Viva ci balla – traditional songs from Salento (Salento Altra Music, 2002)
Ama l’acqua, with Les Troublamours (AnimaMundi Edizioni, 2007)
Contagio, with BandAdriatica (Finisterre, 2007)
Novilunio, with Redi Hasa (Ponderosa Music, 2008)
Maremoto, with BandAdriatica (Finisterre, 2009)
M’agghjë scurdatë, with Skaddìa (PSKProject, 2012)
Fimmene in dub, with Insintesi (AnimaMundi Edizioni, 2012)
Arriva la banda!, with BandAdriatica (Finisterre, 2012)
Ura, with Redi Hasa (Finis Terre, 2014)
Dos Tierras, with Miguel Angel Berna (2019)
Amore Amaro (Agualoca Records, 2020)
Grifone, with Pulcinella (Compagnie Pulcinella, 2021)
Onde (Zero Nove Nove, 2024)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
Updated biography and discography