Maria Rita (Portuguese pronunciation: [maˈɾiɐ ˈʁitɐ]; born 9 September 1977, São Paulo) is a Brazilian singer.

Her first CD, Maria Rita, launched her career symbolically, with the first cut on her first album, A Festa (The Party), being written by Milton Nascimento, the legendary Brazilian singer-songwriter whose career was launched by Maria Rita's mother, Elis Regina, when she began to sing his songs to the national Brazilian audience.

The world hit that "Segundo" turned out to be, granted her in 2006, two additional Grammys Latinos – Best MPB Album and Best Brazilian Song with "Caminho das Águas" authored by Rodrigo Maranhão – and over 50 shows abroad, with full public and reviews acceptance in the Montreux Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Irving Plaza (NY), San Francisco Jazz Festival, among others.

[citation needed] Maria Rita was nominated for the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music in 2008.

Prêmio Multishow de Música Brasileira 1Tied with Paulinho da Viola for MTV Unplugged.