Vânia Bastos, born May 13, 1956 in Ourinhos, São Paulo, Brazil, is a Brazilian singer who began singing as a child in her local church choir before winning a regional Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) competition at thirteen. After moving to São Paulo in 1975 to study sociology, she trained under Ula Wolf, Lee Alison, and Nancy Miranda. She began her professional career in 1980 performing with Arrigo Barnabé's band, Sabor de Veneno, on the show and album Clara Crocodilo. Her subsequent collaborations include work with Itamar Assumpção, the group Isca de Polícia, and touring Europe with Barnabé in 1984. She launched her solo career in 1985, releasing her self-titled debut album, Vânia Bastos, in 1986. Her 1990 song “Paulista” became an unofficial anthem of the city of São Paulo. Her subsequent solo albums include Cantando Caetano (1992), Canta Mais (1994), Vânia Bastos e Cordas – Canções de Tom Jobim (1995), Diversões não eletrônicas (1997), and Tocar na Banda (2005).
