Behind the dreamy voice, an image in need of help

It’s easy to fall for Maria Rita, the young Brazilian singer whose music is as lyrical and seductive as the sound of her name. Daughter of famed singer Elis Regina, she wooed international fans last year with her self-titled debut album, a modern bossa nova blend that earned her two Latin Grammys, including one for best new artist.

Maria Rita (whose last name is Mariano) made her first trip to Los Angeles eight months ago to accept the honors along with her Brazilian collaborator, Tom Capone, who died in a traffic accident just hours after winning two awards of his own as producer. During that visit, we got barely a glimpse of the 26-year-old singer, who didn’t perform during the abysmal telecast.

Instead, she flashed a charming smile for the media and quickly took her gold gramophones back to Brazil. Her teasingly brief appearance only fueled the crush new fans had developed on her. When would we see her again? When would we get to know her better?

The singer finally returned Friday for her debut concert here, at the Wadsworth Theatre in West Los Angeles. And though her voice is even more impressive in person, spending 90 minutes with her was like going on a first date that reveals an individual’s unattractive ticks and quirks, shattering those dreamy illusions harbored at a distance.

Beneath the charm and talent, she displayed an occasionally odd and annoying personality. Her mannerisms veered weirdly from cute and elegant to outright dorky. At times, she paced back and forth like one of those mechanical moving targets in a carnival shooting gallery, shoulders hunched, head down, arms swinging. Other times, she abandoned her femininity and adopted tomboy stances, legs set wide apart or arms pumping aggressively.

The effect was like that “Seinfeld” episode when Jerry’s gorgeous girlfriend suddenly lets out a hyena-like cackle, causing the comedian to recoil in horror at the previously unseen trait that ruins it all for him.

Speaking of comedians, Maria Rita also tried to be funny in her frequent banter between songs. But as with her mannerisms, her shtick quickly crossed the line from charming to overbearing. Some bits smacked of false humility, as when she joked about being too shy to speak to her new producer. (Strangely, she never mentioned Capone.)

It’s all part of a stage persona that doesn’t live up to her PR billing as Brazil’s Norah Jones. That description fits fine as far as the warmth and beauty of their jazz-inflected vocals go. But the comparison stops there, since Jones maintains her classy composure onstage. Obviously, Maria Rita wants to be regarded as an artist of the first rank. She has the pipes and the pedigree. But live, she needs to build on her strengths rather than distract from them.

She should start with her wardrobe. Take the outfit she wore Friday -- please! A grungy, discolored denim skirt down to her bare feet and an ill-fitting sleeveless top accentuated her less-than-toned midriff. She doesn’t have to become Britney Spears, but she could certainly afford more flattering clothes.

This isn’t frivolous or sexist. It’s basic show business. The lesson applied equally to a previous Latin Grammy winner, Colombia’s Juanes, named best new artist three years earlier. He was introduced to U.S. audiences as a scruffy, skinny kid. He’s now one of Latin music’s biggest stars, with a hunky new physique and Fabio-like locks.

Unlike Juanes, however, who watered down his music, Maria Rita could clean up her act without sacrificing her art. Fans expect Brazilian music to be refined and jazzy, with a spontaneity that justifies some of her impulsive movements. She just needs to rein in her goofy excesses and bring her stage persona in line with the urbane sophistication of her record.

The asset she should definitely keep is her four-piece band: keyboardist Tiago Costa, percussionist Da Lua, bassist Sylvio Mazzucca and drummer Cuca Teixeira. They played with precision and discipline and looked cool to boot.

In the end, the music saved the show.