About Marisa Monte While classically trained in opera singing, she grew up surrounded by the sounds of the Portela samba school, and combines diverse influences into her music. After failing to break through 1980s Brazilian Pop rock she went to semi-exile in Italy where she met the famous producer Nelson Motta (soon her boyfriend). Thereafter she became a hybrid of MPB diva and Pop rock performer. While most of her music is in the style of modern MPB, she has also recorded traditional samba and folk tunes, as well and songs by Marvin Gaye and Lou Reed. Much of her work has been in collaboration with musicians/songwriters Carlinhos Brown, Arnaldo Antunes, and Nando Reis, and producer Arto Lindsay. She has also worked with foreign artists such as Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Julieta Venegas.