Valeniza Zagni da Silva (performing as Tuca; 1944–1978) was a Brazilian MPB and bossa nova singer, guitarist, and composer from São Paulo. Tuca studied classical music at the Musical and Dramatic Conservatory of São Paulo in 1957. In 1962, she composed “Homem de Verdade” for Ana Lúcia. Tuca released her debut album, Meu Eu, in 1966 and won the Prix Berimbau d’Or at the II Festival Nacional da Música Popular Brasileira for the song “Porta Estandarte” with Airto Moreira. In 1969, Tuca relocated to France, where she collaborated on Françoise Hardy’s La Question (1971) and Nara Leão’s Dez Anos Depois (1971). Tuca returned to Brazil in 1974 to release Drácula I Love You on the Som Livre label. Tuca died in São Paulo on May 8, 1978, due to complications from rapid weight loss. She is recognized as a significant figure in the Brazilian LGBT movement.
