Claudia Brant

Claudia Alejandra Menkarski (born July 21, 1966), known as Claudia Brant, is an Argentine composer, producer and singer in diverse genres and multiple languages (Spanish, Portuguese and English).

She has composed 5,000 songs and approximately 1,200 songs have been recorded by different artists in diverse genres and multiple languages (Spanish, Portuguese, English, Korean and French).

Claudia has teamed up with some of the top composers and producers in music, such as: Acclaimed David Foster, Walter A., Noel Schajris (Sin Bandera), Gianmarco, Jorge Luis Piloto, Luis Fonsi,Gabriel Flores, Diane Warren, Humberto Gatica, Bruno Mars, Julio Reyes Copello, Mark Portmann, Sebastian Krys, Jeeve, Marco Marinangeli, Andres Levín, Rafa Sardina, Ettore Grenci, Andres Saavedra, Brett James and Eduardo Cabra, just to name a few. In March 2013, she was appointed Senior Vice President of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame (LSHOF for its acronym in English), which was founded by Rudy Pérez and Desmond Child. She was also named Trustee of the NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences).

Claudia Brant was born on July 21, 1966 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Influenced by her parents, she grew up listening to a diverse range of music from Frank Sinatra to Nino Bravo. Brant discovered her love for music at the age of six, when she composed her first song.Her parents gave her a guitar and she started playing by ear. They subsequently enrolled her in guitar lessons. She also learned to play the bass and piano. Writing verses was very easy for her and because she had no siblings she spent hours in her room experimenting with chords and inventing melodies, while writing and recording her compositions on cassette. She worked on recording jingles and even got a contract with a label. Between the ages of 16 and 17 she worked in Argentina writing songs about typical adolescent problems.Diego Torres and Cristian Castro recorded her songs, which led her to Los Angeles, California. Later, she returned to Buenos Aires, where she studied architecture.

Claudia started professionally composing at age 19 or 20.She signed with Warner Music at the age of 22 and released her first two albums with them. The first of them, “Claudia Brant“ released it in 1991. It was in 1991 when she won the Festival OTI in Mexico with the song "¿Dónde estás ahora?" ('Where are you now? )". In 1995, Brant won the Villa del Mar festival. In 1996 she released “Tu marca en el alma“, also with Warner Music. Brant moved in Los Angeles in 1998. Between 2006 and 2007 she began working with regional Mexican music exponents. In 2008, Claudia and Luis Fonsi (with whom she has worked since 2005) composed the song; "No me doy por vencido", which he also recorded. The song reached # 1 in the United States' Latin charts, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and most of Central and South America. "No me doy por vencido" was named Billboard Magazine's “Song of the Decade” after holding the #1 spot on the Latin Charts for 19 consecutive weeks, a new record at the time.

She has also released five solo albums that include songs written for other artists. She composed songs like "Más" (More) by Ricky Martin; "Gritar" (Scream) and "Respira" (Breathe) by Fonsi; "Camina conmigo" (Walk with me) by Ha*Ash; or "Hasta el final" (Until the end) by Il Volo.

In 2011, she released the album Manuscrito (Manuscript), an album containing her own versions of musical hits she composed, but previously sung by other artists: "No me doy por vencido", of Fonsi, "Ni Rosas Ni Juguetes", of Paulina Rubio, etc.

Claudia recently opened her new company in LA, Brantones On Demand, to specialize in music for film and TV. Her songs have been featured in numerous films, including Ladron que roba a ladrón and Spare Parts.

In September 2018, she released her sixth album SINCERA through Sony Music Latin, for which she won the Grammy for “Best Latin Pop Album“ in January 2019 and her song “Mil e Uma“ was nominated for “Best Portuguese Language Song“ at the Latin Grammys in November 2019. The album was recorded at East West studios in LA and was produced by Ezequiel “Cheche” Alara and Antonio “Moogie” Canazio. It includes 4 duets featuring Antonio Carmona, Alex Cuba, La Marisoul Hernandez and Arnaldo Antunes.

Claudia won the OTI Festival in 1991and the Festival of Viña del Mar in 1994 or 1995 with the theme "Como ayer", as author and interpreter. She was the first representative from Argentina to win it. She sung both songs. Brant was awarded Songwriter of the Year of Latina SESAC three consecutive times in United States, between 2007-2009. Throughout her career, Claudia Brant has received 7 Latin Grammy nominations as a songwriter, artist and producet. Brant was nominated for Producer of the Year at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2004. In 2010, Brant was awarded three international awards: the Latin Grammy for “Song of the Year“ in 2009 in Las Vegas for her song "Aquí estoy yo" (Here I Am), Premio Oye in 2009 (Academy Mexican Music) in Guanajuato, México, by "No me doy por vencido" (I won't give up) (included in the category Song of the Year), and Songwriter of the Year 2009 awarded by the Monitor Latino Convention in Los Angeles, California. The latter was a decision made by a broad panel of representatives from radio and the music industry across the United States.

She was also named ASCAP´s “Latina Songwriter of the Year“ in 2012 and 2015 and won the SESAC Latina Award in 2009 for her song; "Aquí estoy yo", which was performed by co-author Luis Fonsi along with David Bisbal, Aleks Syntek and Noel Schajris. "Aquí estoy yo" swept the charts in Latin America and Spain, and spent 35 weeks (of which 19 were consecutive) at the top of the Billboard chart in the U.S. for which it was named “Song of the Decade“ by Billboard Magazine.

Claudia received two Latin Grammy nominations for the album Manuscrito in early 2011, for Best Recording's Engineeringand Best Female Pop Vocal Album. That same year, she also received her third nomination in the twelfth edition of the Latin Grammys, which she shared with Cuban Desmond Child, for the Song of the Year category with the song "Lo mejor de mi Vida eres tú" (The best of my life is you), performed by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin and Spanish singer Natalia Jimenez.

Brant's album SINCERA won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album at the 2019 Grammy ceremony and her song “Mil e Uma“ was nominated for “Best Portuguese Language Song“ at the Latin Grammy´s Ceremony that same year.

Brant lives in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, since 1998 where she has a music studio, located in her home.

• She said her biggest influences are The Carpenters, Charly García, Mercedes Sosa and Brazilian music.

See full discography

• 1989: Entonces vale la pena - Melopea Discos
• 1992: Claudia Brant - Warner Music Argentina
• 1995: Tu marca en el alma - Warner Music Argentina
• 2007: Por capricho - Brantones Records
• 2011: Manuscrito - Brantones Records
• 2018: Sincera - Brantones Records/The Orchard

• 1992: "Juntos / Una más" - Warner Music Argentina