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Elza da Conceição Soares (
née Gomes; 23 June 1930 – 20 January 2022), known professionally as Elza Soares (), was a Brazilian
samba singer. In 1999, she was named Singer of the Millennium along with
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
by
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...
.
Elza was deemed dangerous by the
Military dictatorship in Brazil
The military dictatorship in Brazil ( pt, ditadura militar) was established on 1 April 1964, after a coup d'état by the Brazilian Armed Forces, with support from the United States government, against President João Goulart. The Brazilian dicta ...
(1964–1985), and in 1970 her house in the
Jardim Botânico neighborhood, in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, was machine-gunned by regime agents. Inside were her partner
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos (28 October 1933 – 20 January 1983), nicknamed Mané Garrincha, best known as simply Garrincha (, "little bird"), was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a right winger. He is widely regarded as one o ...
and their children. The living room, where the young children were, was destroyed by the blasts. She and Garrincha had to flee to Italy, where they were received by
Chico Buarque de Hollanda
Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born 19 June 1944), popularly known simply as Chico Buarque, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer, and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic, ...
also in exile.
Biography
Elza Gomes da Conceição was born on 23 June 1930 in
Padre Miguel, Rio de Janeiro.
Her father Avelino Gomes was a factory worker and guitarist, and her mother Rosária Maria da Conceição was a washerwoman. She was born in the Moça Bonita, a
favela
Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of working-class neighborhoods in Brazil. The term was first used in the Providência neighborhood in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was built by soldiers who had ...
in the
Padre Miguel neighborhood of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
. During her childhood, Soares played on the streets, spun wooden tops, flew kites, and fought with boys. Despite poverty and having to carry buckets of water on her head, she had a happy childhood. When she was 12, she was forced by her father to marry Lourdes Antônio Soares, also known as Alaúrdes, and within a year later gave birth to her first child, João Carlos. Soares liked to sing, and when she needed money for medicine for her son, she participated in a vocal contest presented by
Ary Barroso
Ary de Resende Barroso (1903–1964), better known as Ary Barroso, was a Brazilian composer, pianist, soccer commentator, and talent-show host on radio and TV. He was one of Brazil's most successful songwriters in the first half of the 20th centur ...
at
Rádio Tupi. She was given money for participating and was then able to buy the medicine. When she was fifteen, she gave birth to her second child, who died. After her husband became ill with
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...
, she began working at the Veritas soap factory in the
Engenho de Dentro neighborhood of
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
. At twenty-one she was a widow, left alone to raise her children: four boys and one girl. She dreamed of becoming a singer.
When she was thirty-two she had a relationship with football player
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos (28 October 1933 – 20 January 1983), nicknamed Mané Garrincha, best known as simply Garrincha (, "little bird"), was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a right winger. He is widely regarded as one o ...
. She was vilified by Brazilian society, with many accusing her of breaking up his marriage. She was shouted at in the street, received death threats, and her house was pelted with eggs and tomatoes. On 13 April 1969 her mother died in a car accident. Garrincha, Soares, and her daughter Sara were also injured in this accident. Garrincha was driving drunk on
Presidente Dutra highway when a truck merged into the lane. Everyone in the car was hurt, and Dona Rosário was thrown from the vehicle and killed. Soares and Garrincha remained married for sixteen years (1968–1982). Garrincha's friends did not accept Soares as his wife, instead calling her a "witch." Soares tried to curb her husband's dependence on alcohol by visiting bars and pleading with them not to serve her husband. The couple had one child, a boy, born in 1976. He was named after his father, Manuel Francisco dos Santos, and received the nickname Garrincha Jr. In 1983 Garrincha died of
cirrhosis
Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue rep ...
, which devastated Soares, though they were already separated.
On 11 January 1986, her son died when he was 9 years old in a car accident as he was coming back from visiting his father's hometown,
Magé
Magé () is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.
''Magepe-Mirim'' () was established in 1566 by Portuguese colonists. It is considered to be a calm place, especially compared to nearby Rio.
Politics
In the October 5th, ...
. It had been raining and the driver lost control of the vehicle. The door opened and the boy was thrown into the
Imbariê River. Soares was disconsolate and considered ending her own life. She left Brazil and toured Europe and the United States.
After many years of searching for her long lost daughter, they were reunited after Soares returned to Brazil. On 26 July 2015 Soares lost her fifth son, Gerson, when he was 59 years old. He died of complications of a
urinary tract infection
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection that affects part of the urinary tract. When it affects the lower urinary tract it is known as a bladder infection (cystitis) and when it affects the upper urinary tract it is known as a kidne ...
. Soares had six children: João Carlos, Gerson, Gilson, Dilma, Sara, and Garrincha. She died at her residence in Rio de Janeiro, on 20 January 2022, at the age of 91.
Career
In 1958, Soares spent eight months touring Argentina with Mercedes Batista. She became popular with her first single "Se Acaso Você Chegasse", on which she introduced scat singing ''à la''
Louis Armstrong, adding a bit of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
to samba, however, Elza said that she did not know American music at the time. She moved to
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...
, where she performed at theaters and night clubs. Her husky voice became her trademark. After finishing her second album, ''A Bossa Negra'', she went to Chile to represent Brazil in the
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup was the seventh edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for senior men's national teams. It was held from 30 May to 17 June 1962 in Chile. The qualification rounds took place be ...
and met
Louis Armstrong.
![Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel 2020 - Wigder Frota (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Mocidade_Independente_de_Padre_Miguel_2020_-_Wigder_Frota_%28cropped%29.jpg)
From 1967 to 1969, Soares recorded three albums with the record label
Odeon, partnering with singer
Miltinho. The albums were titled ''Elza, Miltinho e Samba (Volumes 1–3)''. The songs in these albums were mostly in the
potpourri
Potpourri ( ) is a mixture of dried, naturally fragrant plant materials used to provide a gentle natural scent, commonly in residential settings. It is often placed in a decorative bowl.
The word "potpourri" comes into English from the French ...
style with duets. The albums were produced by Milton Miranda and
Hermínio Bello de Carvalho and re-released on CD in 2003 by EMI-Odeon.
In the 1970s, she toured the U.S. and Europe. In 2000, she was named Best Singer of the Millennium by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
in London, where she performed a concert with
Gal Costa
Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (born Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos; 26 September 1945 – 9 November 2022), known professionally as Gal Costa (), was a Brazilian singer of popular music. She was one of the main figures of the tro ...
,
Chico Buarque
Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born 19 June 1944), popularly known simply as Chico Buarque, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer, and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic, ...
,
Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (; born 26 June 1942), is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration ...
,
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo, which encomp ...
, and Virgínia Rodrigues. During the same year, she played a series of avant-garde concerts directed by José Miguel Wisnik in Rio de Janeiro.
Soares scored a number of hits in Brazil throughout her career, including "Se Acaso Você Chegasse" (1960), "Boato" (1961), "Cadeira Vazia" (1961), "Só Danço Samba" (1963), "Mulata Assanhada" (1965), and "Aquarela Brasileira" (1974). ''Elza Pede Passagem'' produced no major hit singles but it was considered representative of the samba-soul of the early 1970s.
In 2002, her album ''Do Cóccix Até O Pescoço'' album earned a Grammy nomination. The album was recorded with Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque,
Carlinhos Brown
Antônio Carlos Santos de Freitas, known professionally as Carlinhos Brown (Brazilian Portuguese: /kaʁˈlĩɲus bɾaw̃, -iɲuʃ/, 23 November 1962), is a Brazilian singer, percussionist, and record producer from Salvador, Bahia. His musical ...
, and
Jorge Ben Jor
Jorge Duílio Lima Menezes (born March 22, 1939) is a Brazilian popular musician, performing under the stage name Jorge Ben Jor since the 1980s, though commonly known by his former stage name Jorge Ben (). His characteristic style fuses samba, ...
. In 2004, Soares released ''Vivo Feliz'' with the single, "Rio de Janeiro", a homage to her city of birth. While not as successful in sales as her previous release, the album carried on the theme of mixing samba and bossa nova with modern electronic music and effects. The album included collaborations with
Nando Reis
Nando Reis (, born José Fernando Gomes dos Reis; January 12, 1963) is a Brazilian musician and producer, best known as the former bassist and one of the lead singers of Brazilian rock band Titãs and for his successful solo career, with his ow ...
, Fred 04 (former leader of
mangue beat band
Mundo Livre S/A
Mundo Livre S/A is a Brazilian mangue bit band, formed in 1984 in Recife, Pernambuco. It is also one of the founders of that musical style, which became popular in the 1990s. Fred Zero Quatro, the band's singer, was one of the authors of Carang ...
), and Zé Keti.
In 2007, she was invited to sing ''
a cappella'' the
Brazilian National Anthem at the opening ceremony of the
2007 Pan American Games
The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic C ...
.
Soares joined
Jair Rodrigues
Jair Rodrigues de Oliveira (February 6, 1939 – May 8, 2014) was a Brazilian musician and singer. He is the father of Luciana Mello and Jair Oliveira, who also followed in his footsteps and became musicians.
Biography
Born in Igarapava, Rodr ...
and
Seu Jorge
Jorge Mário da Silva, more commonly known by his stage name Seu Jorge (Seu, an abbreviation of "Senhor"; born June 8, 1970; ), is a Brazilian musical artist, songwriter, and actor. He is considered by many a renewer of Brazilian pop samba. Seu ...
for ''Sambistas'' (2009). In 2016, ''A Mulher do Fim do Mundo'' was released internationally with the translated title ''Woman at the End of the World''. She also performed at the opening ceremony of the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...
in Rio de Janeiro, where she sang "O Canto de Ossanha" by
Baden Powell and
Vinicius de Moraes
Marcus Vinícius da Cruz e Mello Moraes (19 October 1913 – 9 July 1980), better known as Vinícius de Moraes () and nicknamed O Poetinha ("The little poet"), was a Brazilian poet, diplomat, lyricist, essayist, musician, singer, and playwright ...
.
Her album ''
A Mulher do Fim do Mundo'' was released in 2015. It was praised by critics as one of the best
MPB albums of the past years. She won the award for Best Album in pop/rock/reggae/hip-hop/funk. This album was also nominated for Best Album of Brazilian Popular Music and Best Song in Portuguese at the 17th edition of the
Latin Grammy Award
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
s.
Her album ''Deus É Mulher'' was ranked as the 2nd best Brazilian album of 2018 by the Brazilian edition of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine
and among the 25 best Brazilian albums of the first half of 2018 by the
São Paulo Association of Art Critics.
The follow-up ''Planet Fome'' was considered one of the 25 best Brazilian albums of the second half of 2019 by the
São Paulo Association of Art Critics.
For this album, she planned a cover of "Comida", by
Titãs
Titãs () are a Brazilian rock band from São Paulo. Though they basically play pop/alternative rock, their music has touched a number of other styles throughout their 30-year career, such as new wave, punk rock, grunge, MPB and electronic ...
featuring the then current members of the band (
Branco Mello
Branco Mello (; born Claudio Corrêa de Mello Júnior on March 16, 1962) is a Brazilian musician and actor, best known as the vocalist and bassist of Brazilian rock band Titãs. He has also played small but significant roles for the movies.
C ...
,
Sérgio Britto
Sérgio Britto (, born Sérgio de Britto Álvares Affonso(September 18, 1959) is a Brazilian musician, best known as a member of the rock band Titãs, for which he contributes with lead vocals, keyboards and, more recently, the bass guitar. He ha ...
and
Tony Bellotto
Antonio Carlos Liberalli Bellotto (; born June 30, 1960) is a Brazilian musician and writer, best known as the lead guitarist of Brazilian rock band Titãs. He has also written and released several books.
Childhood
Bellotto spent his childhood ...
), but she ended up choosing to save the song for later and it was released in October 2020 to mark the album's first anniversary and to celebrate its nomination for the
Latin Grammy Award
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been ...
.
Discography
* ''Se Acaso Você Chegasse'' (Odeon, 1960)
* ''A Bossa Negra'' (Odeon, 1961/Universal 2003)
* ''O Samba é Elza Soares'' (Odeon, 1961)
* ''Sambossa'' (Odeon, 1963)
* ''Na Roda do Samba'' (Odeon, 1964)
* ''Um Show de Elza'' (Odeon, 1965)
* ''Com A Bola Branca'' (Odeon, 1966)
* ''O Máximo em Samba'' (Odeon, 1967)
* ''Elza, Miltinho e Samba'' (Odeon, 1967)
* ''Elza, Miltinho e Samba Vol.2'' (Odeon, 1968)
* ''Elza Soares e Wilson das Neves'' (Odeon, 1968)
* ''Elza, Carnaval & Samba'' (Odeon, 1969)
* ''Elza, Miltinho e Samba Vol.3'' (Odeon, 1969)
* ''Samba & Mais Sambas'' (Odeon, 1969)
* ''Elza Pede Passagem'' (Odeon, 1972/EMI, 2004)
* ''Sangue, Suor e Raça'' (Odeon, 1972)
* ''Aquarela Brasileira'' (Odeon, 1973)
* ''Elza Soares'' (Tapecar, 1974)
* ''Nos Braços do Samba'' (Tapecar, 1974)
* ''Lição De Vida'' (Tapecar, 1976)
* ''Pilão + Raça = Elza'' (Tapecar, 1977)
* ''Senhora da Terra'' (CBS, 1979)
* ''Elza Negra, Negra Elza'' (CBS, 1980)
* ''Somos Todos Iguais'' (Som Livre, 1985)
* ''Voltei'' (RGE, 1988)
* ''Trajetória'' (Universal Music, 1997)
* ''Carioca da Gema'' (1999)
* ''Do Cóccix Até O Pescoço'' (Maianga/Tratore, 2002)
* ''Vivo Feliz'' (Tratore, 2004)
* ''Beba-Me'' (Biscoito Fino, 2007)
* ''
A Mulher do Fim do Mundo'' (Circus, 2015)
* ''Elza Canta e Chora Lupi'' (2016)
* ''Deus é Mulher'' (Deckdisc, 2018)
* ''Planeta Fome'' (Deckdisc, 2019)
* ''Elza Soares & João de Aquino'' (Deckdisc, 2021)
See also
*
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos (28 October 1933 – 20 January 1983), nicknamed Mané Garrincha, best known as simply Garrincha (, "little bird"), was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a right winger. He is widely regarded as one o ...
*
Afro-Brazilian
Afro-Brazilians ( pt, afro-brasileiros; ) are Brazilians who have predominantly African ancestry (see " preto"). Most members of another group of people, multiracial Brazilians or ''pardos'', may also have a range of degree of African ancestry. ...
s
References
Discography
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soares, Elza
1930 births
2022 deaths
20th-century Brazilian women singers
20th-century Brazilian singers
21st-century Brazilian women singers
21st-century Brazilian singers
Association footballers' wives and girlfriends
Bossa nova singers
Música Popular Brasileira singers
Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city)
Samba musicians
Latin Grammy Award winners
Women in Latin music