Avelino Vaz Maia (Lisbon, February 25, 1988), also known as Nininho Vaz Maia or Nininho, is a Portuguese singer and composer.
Nininho Vaz Maia gained great public prominence from 2019 onwards, especially through the YouTube platform. His songs “Cola-te a Mim”, “Quiero Bailar” or “Soy Gitano” were his first big hits and quickly caught the attention of a large legion of fans. Currently, the artist has more than 67 million views on his official channels and his debut album “Raízes” reached Platinum in Portugal.
Nininho is also considered one of the main voices linked to the flamenco musical style in Portugal.
2016–2020: The beginning of his career (from the video dedicated to his sister to success on YouTube)
In 2013, Nininho began to take his first more serious steps as a musician and composer. At that moment he began to compose his first musical themes inspired by pop music and flamenco. Firstly, he recorded a video performing a song to send to his sister. After seeing it, she showed it to her cousin who later shared it on YouTube. In this home video, Nininho Vaz Maia sang and played the guitar in a simple and uncompromising environment. The number of views on YouTube began to grow and quickly an increasing number of fans began to follow the videos and songs that he was composing and sharing.
During this period, Nininho Vaz Maia released 8 singles and laid the foundations for the album that would follow.
2021: The album “Raízes” and recognition
In 2021 he released “Raízes”, his debut album. In 11 tracks, Nininho sought to transform this album into a tribute to his roots in the gypsy community. The songs portray this universe, through their own musical style that combines the flamenco genres with pop music, united in a different genre than usual. There were very positive reactions to the album and to this new musical genre that Nininho brought.
During the production of the album “Raízes”, the artist worked closely with some musicians who have been with him for several years. The collaboration of musicians Rodrigo do Carmo (Stego), Ariel and Daus was essential. In addition to Nininho himself, Gilberto Maia (Popinho) and Triana Marín also participated in the composition.
In 2021, Nininho performed live for the first time, and his two debut concerts in Beja and Almeirim were sold out. In his first time on stage, Nininho filled the Beja Fairs and Exhibitions Park, where he received his first Gold Record, and later the Almeirim Arena.
2022: Platinum Record, Sold Out Coliseums and Tour on the Road
In 2022, “Raízes” reached the Platinum Record award. Nininho returns to the road and fills the José Lúcio da Silva Theater in Leiria. It then also sells out the Coliseums in Lisbon and Porto. During the show at the Coliseu de Lisboa, the artist received the Platinum Record for “Raízes” on stage.
Recognition became increasingly greater among the public and other celebrities. An example of this is Cristiano Ronaldo, who appears in a video on his yacht singing the song “E Agora?”. At another point, Matias Damásio and the artist exchanged compliments on a version of the Angolan singer’s song “Como Antes”.
The connection to flamenco
Along with artists such as Rosalía, and following the achievements of Paco de Lucia, Camarón de La Isla, Niña Pastori, Nininho Vaz Maia has become a voice in promoting flamenco in Portugal, demonstrating its value as a reference musical genre.
