“Maria Márquez is expanding the parameters of Latin jazz. With her luminous cellolike timbre and supple rhythmic phrasing, the vocalist has painstakingly built her repertoire out of classic Latin American ballads, Brazilian standards and a vast treasure trove of tunes from her native Venezuela- songs largely unknown in the U.S. and obscure even in the rest of South America.
Her breathtaking self-produced album “Nature’s Princess”, originally released on her own label in 2003, gained widespread notice in 2004 when it was reissued by Adventure Music. ..Márquez assembled a program composed mostly by women, ranging from boleros, and folkloric Venezuelan songs to Sephardic laments, material perfectly suited for her arresting, ardently sensual voice. Whatever context Márquez performs in, her voice is unmistakable, luxuriant, husky and achingly soulful, as if Nina Simone had been raised in the Caribbean.”
— Andrew Gilbert- JazzTimes- February 2005