Mónica Ferraz (Porto, March 23, 1980) is a Portuguese singer-songwriter. She began her musical career at the age of 15, when she began covering songs by other artists.
Mónica Ferraz was born in Portugal, in the city of Porto. In a family of 5 brothers. Her father, born in Porto, businessman, graduated from the Escola Superior de Belas Artes do Porto, and her mother of Asian, Portuguese-African origin, born in Ambriz, grew up in Luanda, Angola. She left her homeland in the 60s and moved to Portugal in the mid-1970s, to the city of Porto, where she established herself as a businesswoman in the music sector, where she still continues her career.
Mónica Ferraz, at just 3 years old, with a great vocation for the arts, discovered two of her greatest passions, dance and music, where her parents were completely supportive.
She began studying ballet at the Academia de Dança das Antas in Porto in 1983, and received diplomas from the “Royal Academy of Dance”. His musical journey began, in 1985, with piano studies, with private lessons.
At the age of 4, Monica Ferraz also started doing small shoots as a photo model for children’s clothing magazines. Where she continued, she graduated in catwalk and photography at the “IN” School, directed by Miguel Arcanjo. In 1990 she began working as a mannequin. In 1995, the firm conviction, willpower and talent that Mónica Ferraz had to build a career in music was the reason that led her to start singing.
In 1995, Mónica Ferraz’s desire to build a career in music was the reason why she started singing covers of other artists at night in bars, small theaters, and casinos. In 1996 she enrolled at the “Porto jazz school” where she attended jazz singing classes with Fatima Serro and Eugenio Barreiros.
At the same time, she traveled to Lisbon every week, to train in lyrical singing with the professor. Rui di Luna from the University of Lisbon. He formed his first Jazz quartet, and between 1997 and 1999 he made his debut on the Jazz stage and was part of the lineup at two of the best-known Portuguese Jazz Festivals, “Festival Matosinhos em Jazz” and “Funchal Jazz Festival with the band of conservatory”, is also part of posters for audits and some theaters.
In 1997, in one of her performances, Monica Ferraz caught the attention of the Artistic Director of the Povoa casino and was invited to join, as a protagonist, the cast of the main Show, where she remained for a few years. The selfish magazine highlighted Monica Ferraz in a prominent interview. In 2000 she collaborated on the Pirilampo Mágico album coordinated by Fernando Girão. The following year she participated in the Festival da Canção RTP with “Secreta Passagem” written by musician Miguel Braga.
Fighter and pursuer of her dreams, the talented Monica Ferraz became known in 2000 where she was part of the Mesa project since its beginning, as a founding member of the band “Mesa”, where she gave voice to several singles such as, Vicio de ti, Luz Vaca, I give up my place, When the Words, among others.
2002 was the year of consolidation for the group. And also the year of participation in the Pop up Songs-Optimus 2002 collection with the theme Divagadora, which runs quite insistently during the summer of that year. The models and live performances caught the attention of publishers and at the end of 2002 she signed with Zona Musica.
The debut album Mesa was released on May 19, 2003. The artist’s critical reception was excellent and Mesa immediately took on one of the most promising projects in Portuguese music. The single Esquecimento receives strong support from national radio stations. Still in 2003, on October 20th, a second edition of the album was made.
A deluxe edition that, in addition to the graphics, features a new song sung by Scott Walker, through the recovery of recordings of the song 30 Century Man, included in the scott3 album and a multimedia video called Esquecimento. The Album had three editions, the last of which, in 2004, produced another CD with the participation of Rui Reininho on the song Luz Vaga and four songs taken from the performance in an acoustic format, on the program 3 Pistas by Henrique Amaro, on Antena 3 radio.
That year, however, he caught the attention of EMI Music Portugal. And they sign a contract to record new albums. By invitation Collaborates in a featuring with fado singer Mafalda Arnauth on the song “Ó Voz da Minha Alma” (2003). In 2004, Mesa unanimously appeared on Portuguese journalists’ best of the year lists and began to make themselves known across borders, with laudatory articles in the German, English, Brazilian and Spanish press.
In May 2004, he won the Golden Globe in the category of best Group of the year, At the same time, at the Dance-club Music Awards, he won the Award for Best album of the Year and was also chosen by Antena 3, as best album of 2003. Still in 2004, he was nominated at the MTV Europe Music Awards in the category of Best Portuguese Act. In 2004 Emmanuel Legrand, Billboard, as Global main editor, included his debut album as one of the 10 best albums of 2004 and considered it an “impressive debut album from this Portuguese trip-hop band”.
The biggest surprise this year was reserved, however, for the third edition of the album with the special participation of Rui Reininho. Luz Vaga, became one of the most played songs on the radio and one of the group’s biggest hits. 2005 Monica Ferraz has a new album, recording begins in Porto and ends in NYC.
The Album Vitamina, released on September 12, 2005, includes 11 songs and an extra track with the version of Out of Time, original by Blur. Acclaimed by critics, he wins the tough test of the second album with songs such as Fado Lunar, Soro da Verdade, Vicio de ti, Deixa cai o Inverno, the latter being nominated for the Sic/caras golden globes of that year.
In 2007 he collaborated on the song “Eu Disse Que Sim” from Filarmónica Gil’s second album. In 2009, at the invitation of the lead singer of Perfume Tozé, he participated in the band’s album. In May 2008, Monica Ferraz released the band’s third original work. “Para todo o Mal”, published by Sony BMG, debuts on the radio with the theme Boca do Mundo, which quickly wins over the public from north to south of the country, translating into a strong and spontaneous reaction in live shows, achieving raise many of voices in unison with.
In 2010 Monica Ferraz launched a solo career and debuted with the album Start Stop produced by Andre Indiana, and left Mesa. In between, singer Monica Ferraz showed her talent at events from the north to the south of the country, and the album tour took her to festivals such as Meo Sudoeste, Mares Vivas, among many others, and left us all singing the songs your musics.
In 2012 Monica Ferraz was nominated for the title of Best Portuguese Act at the 2012 MTV Europe Music Awards, which would be won by singer Aurea. Still in 2013, the album Start Stop included a special joint edition with André Indiana, where the album covers and videos merge.
The video clips for both were recorded at Estúdio 33 by Luís de Matos and produced and directed by Jonathan de Torre. Monica Ferraz and Andre Indiana went on a joint tour which they called the Love Tour. Still in 2013, Monica Ferraz was invited to perform with the band Orelha Negra, as part of Mixtape II, on the theme Heartbreaker, where Monica gave lyrics and voice to this theme. Still in the same year she was invited by the Brazilian Natiruts, to do the Portuguese version of the song “Sorri Sou Rei”, and this was one of the most played songs on national radio in 2013.
Monica Ferraz She also received the nomination for the Best Portuguese Act award, MTV EMA, in 2013. Precisely in 2013, Monica Ferraz released the single LIke a Legend, a featuring with Andre Indiana and another new hit in Portuguese lands with great national airplay, and a big tour from north to south of the country. In 2014 he released the album Love, it was the year of the release of Monica Ferraz’s second solo album, entitled LOVE, it was the second to be released by Sony Music Entertainment, and continues the sound menu of fusion between Pop, Rock and Electronica, with hints of funk.
On July 11, 2014, Let Me Be, the first single from the album LOVE, was released to national radio stations. A sweeping ballad with a catchy chorus and dissected feelings on the piano with classic arrangements, Let me Be was the single that opened the album’s doors, and was yet another milestone in the national music scene.
2014/2015 Monica Ferraz was part of The voice Kids programs. In 2015, on May 23rd, Monica Ferraz was invited to a featuring by David Fonseca, at a major event in the cultural center of Viana de Castelo, concerts by renowned names in Portuguese music where they both gave their own concert and joined together to feature the Hold Still music.
2016 continued his tour, through the various venues in Portugal, with his album Love. On May 10, 2019, Mónica Ferraz released the single “FOOL”, the first to be released by an international label.
