Maia Castro

Maia Castro is an Uruguayan singer and composer born on April 21, 1980 in Montevideo. She is one of Uruguay’s most important tango and milonga artists of her generation. Castro began performing at age 15 in Montevideo’s carnival murga groups, including Antimurga BCG, then launched her solo career in 2005. Her musical approach blends traditional tango with contemporary Uruguayan folkloric forms—milonga, samba, and zamba—while her lyrics are characterized by wit, edginess, and explicit challenges to the genre’s traditional machismo. Her 2017 song “Simplemente” addresses street harassment of women and has resonated internationally as a distinctly feminine perspective on social issues. Since 2005, she has released six studio albums and collaborated with pianist Horacio Di Yorio. She has toured extensively throughout South America and Europe, including performances in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and at Finland’s Tango Festival. Note: Sources differ on her exact birth date—English Wikipedia and Wikidata list March 21, 1980, while Spanish Wikipedia sources cite April 21, 1980.

Sources note: Birth date discrepancy: English Wikipedia and Wikidata state March 21, 1980; Spanish Wikipedia and the on-file record state April 21, 1980.