Elza Soares

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 23, 1930, Elza Soares is a Brazilian samba singer. Born into extreme poverty, she used to raise money by singing in talent shows, which is how she became known as a uniquely individual vocalist. Giving birth to her first child at 12, winning talent shows became a much-needed source of income in order for her to raise her son. By the time she was 21, she was a widow with five children, but she still had dreams of becoming a singer. Soares spent time touring Argentina with Mercedes Batista in the late ‘50s. Her debut single, “Se Acaso Você Chegasse,” became a hit. Her first album, named after the hit single, was released in 1960. Her husky vocal style became her calling card and her audience began to grow with each passing year. Albums like A Bossa Negra (1961), Sambossa (1963) and Na Roda do Samba (1964) helped to solidify her fame. Some of her biggest hits include “Boato” (1961), “Cadeira Vazia” (1961), ‘Só Danco Samba” (1963), “Mulata Assanhada” (1965), “Aquarela Brasileira” (1974), and “Malandro” (1976). She was forced into exile from Brazil during the period of the dictatorship by The Generals (1964-85) and lived in Italy and the USA, but she continued to perform and record music. While she became one of the most iconic vocalists in Brazil, her personal life was engulfed in tragedy and controversy – including an affair and subsequent marriage to Brazilian soccer legend Garrincha and the tragic deaths of family members. She stepped away from music, only recording sporadically between 1980 and 1999, but returned to the music scene by the early 2000s with titles like Vivo Feliz (2004), A Mulher do Fim do Mundo (2015), and Planeta Fome (2019), her last album before passing away on January 20, 2022, due to complications of a urinary tract infection at the age of 91.