Eduardo "Ed" Motta (; born August 17, 1971) is a Brazilian MPB, rock, soul, funk and jazz musician. He is the nephew of late singer-songwriter Tim Maia.
Career Son of Luzia Motta (sister of Tim Maia) and Antonio Motta, Ed Motta listened to disco, soul and funk from an early age. He became a fan of rock music as a teenager.
His musical career started as vocalist of the hard rock band Kabbalah. After hearing Jeff Beck's album "Blow by Blow", he realized that the British guitarist had soul and funk influences. While still in his teens, he abandoned his studies to dedicate himself to music, and explored a fascination with soul music. He worked as a DJ and produced the fanzine "Curto Circuito", eventually meeting guitarist Luiz Fernando Comprido, with whom he formed the "Expresso Realengo", later renamed "Conexão Japeri" which recorded their first album in 1988.
In 1990 Motta departed to begin his solo career, recording his debut Um Contrato Com Deus, where he played almost all the instruments by himself. Since then he has released several solo albums. In 1997 he supplied the soundtrack to the film, Pequeno Dicionário Amoroso (The Book of Love).
In 1994, he lived in New York City for a year. There he recorded an album with American musicians that has not been released yet. He discovered the universes of classical music, which eventually reflected on his musical conception. Once opposed to Brazilian music, he discovered that foreign artists had recorded Brazilian songs, such as recordings of Francis Hime's Minha by jazz artist Bill Evans, and discovered a partnership between Brazilian Marcos Valle and American Leon Ware, famous for composing the song I Wanna Be Where You Are, recorded by Michael Jackson.
In 1999 he translated Phil Collins's songs for the Disney film Tarzan into Brazilian Portuguese.
His album Aystelum was nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards of 2006 in the Latin jazz category.
Motta has worked with Cassiano, Roy Ayers, 4 Hero, Seu Jorge, Eliane Elias, Incognito, Bo Diddley and Ryuichi Sakamoto among others.
His work covers a variety of genres from jazz to popular Brazilian music, rock to Hollywood film soundtracks, funk, classical music, AOR, bossa nova and reggae.
Controversies Motta is known for controversies involving fans and fellow artists.
During a 2015 tour, Motta criticized Brazilians who at concerts would request songs in Portuguese, Brazil's native language. The singer would go on to claim those were "simple-minded", "rednecks", "native", "Brazilian bricklayers" fans of other musical genres who "jumped like animals", while calling Brazil a "shitty", "ignorant land". He has since apologized.
During an Instagram live broadcast he called hip hop fans "stupid", prompting backlash from fans and artists.
Selected discography Title Released Label Formats Brazil sales Certifications Conexao Japeri1988WEA Records Um Contrato com Deus1990WEA RecordsLP, K715,000 Entre e Ouça1992WEA RecordsLP, K7, Digital download5,000 Ao Vivo (live)1993WEA Records Manual Prático para Festas, Bailes e Afins - Vol. 11997Universal MusicDigital download, CD300,000ABPD: Platinum Remixes & Aperitivos1998Universal MusicDigital download, CD100,000ABPD: Gold As Segundas Intenções do Manual Prático2000Universal MusicDigital download, CD65,000 Dwitza January 2002Universal MusicDigital download, CD50,000 Poptical 2003TramaDigital download, CD, LP40,000 Aystelum 2005TramaDigital download, CD45,000 Perfil 2005 Som LivreDigital download, CD50,000 Ao Vivo (live)2006Trama Chapter 9 2010TramaDigital download, CD10,000 Piquenique 2009 TramaDigital download, CD10,000 AOR 2013LAB 344Digital download, CD, LP2,000 Perpetual Gateways 2016 LAB 344Digital download, CD, LP1,000 Criterion of the Senses 2018MembranDigital download, CD, LP Behind the Tea Chronicles 2023 DwitzaDigital download, CD, LP Behind The Tea Chronicles (2024) Behind The Tea Chronicles (2024)
References
External links – official site Ed Motta at All Brazilian Music