Tim Maia, born Sebastião Rodrigues Maia in Rio de Janeiro in 1942, was the singer who gave Brazil its own brand of soul. He started out as a teenage drummer and singer in the Tijuca neighbourhood, spent a few restless years in the United States soaking up rhythm and blues, then came home and poured all of it into Portuguese.
His self-titled 1970 debut made him a national star almost overnight, carried by classics such as "Azul da Cor do Mar" and "Primavera". Over the next three decades he practically invented samba soul and Brazilian funk, took a famous mystical detour with the "Racional" albums, and became as legendary for his huge, unpredictable personality as for his voice. He died in 1998 at the age of 55, and his songs are still everywhere in Brazil, from beach radios to film soundtracks.