Flora Purim (born March 6, 1942) is a Brazilian jazz singer known primarily for her work in the jazz fusion style. She became prominent for her part in Return to Forever with Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. She has recorded and performed with numerous artists, including Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Evans, Opa, Stan Getz, George Duke, Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Santana, Jaco Pastorius, and her husband Airto Moreira.

In 2002, Purim was the recipient of one of Brazil's highest awards, the 2002 Ordem do Rio Branco for Lifetime Achievement. She has been called "The Queen of Brazilian Jazz". When her father was out of the house, her mother played jazz.

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She would bring home those 78 vinyl RPMs and when my father was at work, she would play them. That was how I got exposed to jazz music... basically listening to Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, and Frank Sinatra. But also a lot of piano players, such as Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner, those were my mother's favorites.

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Career

Purim began her career in Brazil during the early 1960s. During this period, she made a recording, entitled Flora e M.P.M., in which she sang bossa nova standards of the day by Carlos Lyra and Roberto Menescal. Later in the 1960s, Purim was lead singer for the Quarteto Novo, led by Hermeto Pascoal and Airto Moreira. Diana later described life with her parents as "[growing] up on the road traveling the world like a gypsy". Purim and Moreira became immersed in the emerging Electric Jazz. They toured Europe with Stan Getz and Gil Evans. In 1972, alongside Stanley Clarke and Joe Farrell, they were, for the first two albums, members of Chick Corea's fusion band Return to Forever, which released first a self-titled album, Return to Forever, in 1972, followed the same year as Light as a Feather; both received glowing reviews. In 1973, Purim released her first solo album in the United States, titled Butterfly Dreams. It was well received, and soon after she was chosen by the Down Beat reader's poll as one of the top five jazz singers. Purim also worked with Carlos Santana and Mickey Hart at outdoor festivals and on jazz and classical albums As of 2010, Purim is still actively touring.

Musical style and influences

One of her major musical influences is the Brazilian musician Hermeto Pascoal. Purim has said that Pascoal "play<nowiki>[ed]</nowiki> the Hammond B3 organ, flute, saxophone, percussion, and guitar. He is one of the most complete musicians that I ever met". He also helped train her voice. Her vocal style is influenced by Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald,

Faith

Purim's mother, Rachel Vaisberg, is Brazilian-Jewish. Her father, Naum Purim (1912–1992), was a Romanian Jewish immigrant from Moghilău, then part of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine). Her sister Yana Purim (Bernstein) is also a jazz singer. She also adheres to the Baháʼí Faith

  • 2-time Grammy nominee for Best Female Jazz Performance

As sidewoman

With Dizzy Gillespie

  • Rhythmstick (CTI, 1990)
  • Live at the Royal Festival Hall (Enja, 1990)

With Bobby Hutcherson

  • Cool Summer (2006)

References

Sources

  • – official site
  • Flora Purim at Europe Jazz Network Musicians
  • Flora Purim and husband Airto at Berkeley Agency
  • Flora Purim photos at New England Jazz History Database
  • Flora Purim video interview at All About Jazz