Brazilian singer and songwriter Anne Simoni displays a mastery of complex Brazilian rhythms in her music and a facility for romantic ballads that evoke a serene sense of place. Her performances are a seductive blend of samba, bossa nova, baião and originals, making tropical beats accessible to a broader audience.

Born in Cambuquira, a small town in the mountainous state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, she grew up in a country environment, the daughter of a coffee farmer and a housewife. Her musical talents began to develop at the age of 8 when she started taking piano lessons. At age 12, she was the first woman snare soloist in her elementary school marching band. Always an avid listener of Brazilian music, the albums of Caetano Veloso, Tom Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethania, among others, were spinning incessantly in her record player.

Against her father’s will, but with her mother’s support, Anne’s 15th birthday gift was the classical guitar she had long dreamed about. As soon as she learned a couple of major chords, she started writing her first songs. She taught herself how to play the guitar and later took private lessons in Belo Horizonte, the state capital, where she had moved for her high-school years. Her studies in the capital were interrupted by the sudden death of her father, at age 16, which prompted her to move back home.  Still, she never gave up her music and started performing in festivals in the region, winning recognition and awards for her songs.

Searching  to expand her network, after traveling to other parts of the country, in 1982 she  moved to São Paulo where she performed in night clubs, bars and hotels, taking side jobs to help pay for her studies.
Anne had the opportunity to study at the acclaimed Zimbo Trio’s school of music – CLAM, and to take voice lessons with vocal technician icon, Madalena de Paula.
In 1993, the need for a slower-paced life brought her back to Minas where she continued to perform and compose. She taught music privately, while pursuing a second career in Law, acquiring a degree in 1997.

Arriving in the United States in 1998, she spent her first two years in the country writing new songs about her experiences, simultaneously mastering the English language and perfecting her songwriting skills. Her goal of obtaining a Master’s degree in international law was put aside when she started to perform regularly.  Initially, with Amor Tropical Band and later with her own band, she has performed in the Philadelphia area since 2001, in large and intimate venues including The Kimmel Center for The Performing Arts, Penn Presents at Annenberg Theater, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, Music Festivals at Penn’s Landing and at Villanova University. In addition, Ms. Simoni has recently performed as a percussionist with the samba schools “Unidos da Philadelphia,” and “Philasamba”.

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