Born Rosa Maria Batista de Souza in Machado, Brazil on February 27, 1946, the singer and actress is better known as Rosa Maria. She began her career at the age of 18, singing jazz and bossa nova at the Beco das Garrafas in Rio De Janeiro. She released her debut album, Uma Rosa Com Bossa, in 1966. The album generated interest and she performed all over Brazil, made television appearances, and performed in the Brazilian production of Hair. She became popular in Mexico, playing residencies in high class hotels. She released her next album, Vagando, in 1980. In the late 1980s, she recorded a hit cover version of The Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’”, which had been used in a television commercial. Her next album, Rosa in Blues, was released in 1990. In the late 1990s, she changed her stage name to Rosa Marya Colyn. She continued to be a popular live performer and recorded sporadically.
