“Born paulista, with a heart of minero and bahiano for conviction”.

The way Darlly Maia defines himself shows that his work carries a globetrotter brand.

Given Brazil´s huge dimension, living in different places like São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Bahia (like Darlly Maia has) doesn’t represent a change of country but a way of absorbing different cultural information. The determinant characteristic of Popular Brazilian Music - MPB as it is called in Brazil - is the variety of regional rhythms, artistic expressions and specific languages that compose it. The mix of all those elements gives it its force.

We could say that it has been a privilege for Darlly Maia to absorb elements from the different parts, which compose MPB’s mix.

In fact, the mixture of information and origins are a constant element in his musical formation as well as in the work he develops nowadays.

Darlly Maia has no academic musical formation. After being expelled from his first guitar class when he was eight, he unconsciously decided to learn music by himself and at his own rhythm.

He learned to play guitar as an autodidact among musician friends and playing in bars and clubs.

Since he missed the theory he transformed the surrounding reality, life itself, in his source of inspiration and learning. For him the different ways of his professional trajectory form the distinctive element of his work.

Instead of having to face the limits of technique he creates his own style, that people can enjoy or not, but which is without any doubt, unique.

After several years working as advertiser creator in Brazil, Darlly Maia decided to go to Barcelona to live exclusively of his music. After having left his native home, his intuition about the popularity of Brazilian music was proved right. He had thought that the beginning he would only play for Brazilians who miss their music. But he soon discovered that many more people enjoy Brazilian music.

During the first years in Barcelona, while he was beginning to promote his work as a musician, he created the Programme “Afinado com Brasil” broadcasted by Radio Estel during two seasons. He also created the production house Zaratustra dedicated to the production of concerts and musical circuits. In 2002 Darlly Maia created the group Trío Forróbódó and he began the important job of promotion and presentation of "forró", a type of Popular Brazilian Music very popular and funny, born in the north east of the country and almost unknown to the big audience outside Brazil. With Trío Forróbódó he travelled all over Europe spreading out the forró and its magic.

In 2006 Darlly Maia started Drum&Brazz Project with producer Darwin Barboza. With this work he explores the whole richness of Brazilian music and its classics in up to date versions, fusing the particular harmonies of acoustic Brazilian guitar with urban filters and sounds. At the end of 2008 he launched the first album of Drum&Brazz Project onto the European market.

During all those years Darlly Maia never stopped to present his ‘solo’ show of “Voz e Violão”, which has already entered into Barcelona music’s history. It is an intimate concert in which the communication with and the closeness to the audience is a key element, which creates a very special ambience. While he travels to promote his disc Drum&Brazz Project or to act with Trío Forróbódó he plays every Friday at the Elèctric Bar, a well known musical location in the city. In this bar he’s performed more than 400 concerts and he is a reference of success and continuity, especially for such a fluctuant market as is live music in Barcelona nowadays.

He acts with Trío Forróbódó in the town feasts Festes Majors del Casc Antic de Barcelona. He is part of the program of the week of diversity.

He receives an invitation from Blanco&Negro record company to record a double album of boleros, in Spanish but with arrangements and sounds of Brazilian music.

In Barcelona he takes part with Drum&Brazz Project in one of the most well known summer festivals of Europe, the FESTIVAL GREC.

He makes a tour throughout Catalonia with Trío Forróbódó as guest Group of DIVERSONS for the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Spanish Radio and Television - RTVE Catalonia. He performs with Drum&Brazz Project in Pamplona, within the Cycle of Ethnic Music of CIVICAN. He takes part in the International Festival of Popular and Traditional Music - FIMPT - of Vilanova i La Geltrú and in the Festival of World Music of Cunit. He has been invited with Trío Forróbódó to take part in a Special Edition for the 20th Anniversary of Neuchâtel Buskers Festival, Switzerland. He brings his concert "Voz e Violão" to Palma de Mallorca.  

With the show “Voz e Violão” he plays in Switzerland and Brazil . Between his solo project and Trío Forróbódó Darlly Maia takes the time to record his disc of Drum&Brazz Project. He launches the disc Drum&Brazz Project at the end of the year, which has been distributed by Intergroove throughout Europe . He also begins a small tour throughout Spanish FNACs.

He travels all over Spain with Trío Forróbódó Diversons Tour. He plays in Sevilla, Jerez de la Frontera , Marbella, Barcelona, Girona, Figueres, Tarragona, Igualada, Vic, Logroño, Guipúzcoa, Castellón, Alicante, Valencia, Huesca, Pamplona, Granada, Menorca, Madrid, Pinto and Aranjuez, among others.    

He starts Drum&Brazz Project by playing during a season at Barcelona Casino. He plays in Brazil , Bahia , after a long spell without playing there. Festival Bahia Fusión Barcelona. He plays with Trío Forróbódó at Neuchâtel and Lucerne Festivals ( Switzerland ). He performs in the first shows of Diversons Tour in Palma de Mallorca and Lleida.  

He presents his “Voz e Violão” concert for the first time in Switzerland. He plays with the Trío Forróbódó on the roof of Gaudí’s mythic building, La Pedrera , of Barcelona . Both nights were sold out. He plays at the International Festival of Gandia and at the Fira de Música al Carrer of Vila-Seca. He takes part in a show at the Palace of Congresses of Madrid.    

He plays during Brazilian Weeks of FNAC, where Carlinhos Brown, Bebo Valdés, Flávia Virginia are also present. Counting his concerts with Trío Forróbódó and “Voz e Violão” he performs more than 120 shows during this year.  

He creates Zaratustra Music Circuit. He produces the Fiestas de Gracia (Plaza del Sol) a 9-days festival, which gathers together more than 20 thousand people and presents 15 different concerts. Darlly Maia plays with Paulinho da Bahia.    

He creates Trío Forróbódó and begins to promote forró in Europe . He performs more than 80 concerts with the group during this period.  

Darlly Maia arrives to Barcelona and begins his “Voz e violão” concerts at the Elèctric Bar. Radio Programme “Afinado com Brasil” at Radio Estel during 2001/2002 season.