María Rivas (January 26, 1960 – September 19, 2019)[1] was a Venezuelan Latin jazz singer,[2] composer, and painter.

She then began singing professionally in local night clubs starting in 1983, but soon moved to Aruba where, for 2½ years, she performed in a nightly jazz show named Sentimental Journey Through Jazz, much of its material; in the style of Ella Fitzgerald and other notable divas.

Rivas became a leading voice in the region's environmental movement, and her musical message as a composer often had ecological undertones.

[4] She performed live in Colombia, Brazil, Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Portugal, Panama, Puerto Rico, Spain, Great Britain, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.

In 2012–2013 Rivas celebrated her 30th anniversary as a vocalist, composer and recording artist, with special concerts performed throughout Venezuela and the United States.