It was in 2000 that Maria met the french guitarist Donald Régnier with whom she formed the voice & guitar duet Iguazú. Quickly, they discovered a common passion for Brazilian music (Maria has passed some vacations in Brazil during he childhood and is a Portuguese speaker, when Donald connected with some Brazilian musicians when he was studying IT at the university).
After 5 years of work and a few hundred concerts in Europe, in 2006 Iguazú won the 3rd prize in the international “Voice & Guitar” competition, which takes place every two years in Germany.
If the two musicians started recording in 2006 with various instrumentations, it’s in 2009 that they recorded their first album in a voice & guitar setup. Mixing personal compositions with original arangements on Brazilian music, South American folklore, jazz standards or French songs, “Una Vez” is released in September 2009 in Europe and in December of the same year in Ecuador, notably with a concert at the Teatro Variedades in Quito.
When you buy the album on Bandcamp, the artists receive fair compensation.
3 years later, they made their second duet recording: “Duetando”. The album was released in Europe in July 2012, and in Ecuador a few months later.
When you buy the album on Bandcamp, the artists receive fair compensation.
It was around this time that the duo produced their first “live session” videos on the YouTube platform, filmed in their home studio in Quito. Years go by and sessions continue to this day, varying places and repertoires, sometimes with musician friends invited to share the musical intimacy of the duo.
Jazz harmonies and the exploration of unusual metrics are recurring elements in their interpretations:
After several years dedicated to the exploration of South American folklore within various projects, they recorded a new duet project in 2018, “Atmósfera”: an album dedicated to the music of the Ecuadorian composer Diego Luzuriaga. The recording receives the “Luis Alberto Valencia” award from the city of Quito, which rewards the best popular music creation of the year.
When you buy the album on Bandcamp, the artists receive fair compensation.
In 20 years of existence, the duo have made over 500 concerts. They have performed, together or separately, in Europe, South America, USA and Australia.
The duo is a privileged situation for musicians. He leaves a great deal of freedom to both of them and creates a climate of complicity, with an emphasis on dynamics, nuances & sensitivity.