Angela Maria

Late Brazilian singer Angela Maria ruled the radio waves throughout the 1950s with her powerful command of the samba-canção ("samba song"); a slower-paced strain of the genre that existed from the 1930s largely until the 1960s. Born on May 13, 1929 in the municipality of Macaé in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Maria released her debut album A Rainha Canta in 1954 and that year was crowned "Queen of Radio". One of Brazil's best-loved voices with 60 million record sales to her name, Maria remained active for over 60 years, performing live up until 2016. She amassed countless hits that paid heed to a plethora of rhythms, including 1951's "Não Tenho Você" – included on the album Isto é Ângela Maria compiling her singles from 1951–1953 – 1958's rumba-flavored "Babalu", which was featured on the album Quando Os Astros Se Encontram, 1966's "Cinderela" and many more. She released a prolific amount of albums, recording throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. 1996 saw the release of Amigos and in 2011 Eu Voltei emerged. 2017 ushered in the album Angela Maria and the Songs of Roberto & Erasmo. Maria died on September 29, 2018 in São Paulo, Brazil.