April 16th is known internationally as the Day of Voice, and it is almost impossible not to intertwine the date with the BBC’s “voice of the millennium” and, in her hometown, Elza Soares is known as one of the greatest singers of all time, a national treasure ranked 16th on the list of the 100 greatest voices of Brazilian music compiled by Rolling Stone magazine. Let’s delve into the trajectory of the owner of this honour, Elza Soares, with 70 years of career and 34 records spanning samba, jazz, electronica, hip-hop, funk, soul, Afro-Cuban, pop, rock and even punk.
Behind the brightness of her stardom, there is a dark vacuum. Elza Soares was born in Moça Bonita (nowadays Vila Vintém), a favela on Rio’s impoverished west side in the 1930s. She moved to a tenement in the Água Santa neighbourhood, where she was raised. She endured a childhood of profound deprivation and tragedy, being the daughter of a worker and a laundress. She helped her mother with household chores, carrying water cans on her head. She was forced to marry at the age of 12 by her father to a violent man, had her first child at the age of 13, lost her second child to hunger when she was just 15, and became a widow by the age of 21. Carrying her dream to sing since childhood, she began writing her first songs.
Elza Soares began her career in 1953, specifically on Ary Barroso’s talent show program, “Calouros em Desfile,” which served as a popular platform for aspiring and emerging artists to showcase their talents in music, dance, and comedy in search of recognition and opportunities in the entertainment industry, with a renowned figure of Brazilian music as the presenter. For her, this was an opportunity to earn money to care for her sick third child, having already lost two others to hunger. However, the audience and host's reception added insult to injury, as they did not take her seriously due to her humble way of speaking and dressing. This left the small, skinny black girl embarrassed on stage, wearing her mother’s borrowed clothes, which were much too large for her. When Barroso asked, 'what planet did you come from, girl?' Elza responded sharply and powerfully, refusing to bow her head: 'From the same planet as you, Mr. Ary. From the hunger planet.' This marked her first live performance in the broadcaster’s largest auditorium at the time.
Elza Soares' successful participation in Ary Barroso's program did not initially lead to job opportunities. However, one day, her brother Ino challenged her to audition for his teacher's orchestra. With a rendition of "Lamento," she secured a spot in the ensemble. Elza began accompanying the group at various social events. However, she did not always perform because some clubs did not allow a black singer on stage.
Shortly after, Elza was introduced Elza to Aloysio de Oliveira, a producer at Odeon, who invited her for an audition. Following this audition, she was hired for her first recording with a major label. In 1959, she released her debut single "Se Acaso Você Chegasse,” which marked the predominant genre of the first decade of her career: sambalanço and gave her visibility on the radio. Sambalanço is a fusion of samba, jazz, and bossa nova rhythms with an upbeat and danceable style. It typically features lively percussion, catchy melodies, and often incorporates elements of Brazilian popular music of the time.
In the late 1950s, Elza Soares embarked on a year-long tour of Argentina, alongside Mercedes Batista. She became popular with her first song "Se Acaso Você Chegasse," in which she introduced scat singing similar to that of jazz musician Louis Armstrong, although Elza claims she was not familiar with American music at the time. After completing her second LP, "A Bossa Negra," Elza travelled to Chile representing Brazil in the FIFA World Cup of 1962, where she personally met Louis Armstrong.
In 1960, she achieved her dream of working solely with music when a radio contest emerged. She had to sing the songs chosen by them, and as she was the winner, she earned a job opportunity, signing a contract and singing weekly. Over time, she ended up being invited to appear on TV, and in that same year, she embarked on her first international tour, covering countries in South America, North America, and Europe.
Her first international tour was in Argentina, where she went in September 1958. However, she was swindled by the manager who hired her and ran out of money to return, having to perform on her own in nightclubs until she raised enough funds to travel back to Rio, a process that took a year. Aldacir didn't give up, and with the help of Moreira da Silva, he recorded a single with "Brotinho de Copacabana" and "Pra Que É Que Pobre Quer Dinheiro?" on the independent label Rony, which didn't achieve much success.
In the 1966 Festival of Brazilian Popular Music, Elza placed second with "De Amor ou Paz." In the 1968 edition, Elza participated again and won the award for best female performer with "Sei Lá, Mangueira." In the same decade, Elza even had a program on the popular Record TV, "Dia D... Elza," where she worked alongside Germano Mathias, but the project was discontinued after the third major fire the network suffered in the 1960s.
Elza Soares’ second album, "A Bossa Negra" (1961), bore a title that commented on bossa nova, a genre dominated by the white upper class and often seen as a symbol of Brazil abroad and domestically. However, her album showcased a type of samba that was popular in the favelas, thus reclaiming the African roots of a sound that achieved international success by stripping away traditional samba drums and incorporating intricate jazz harmonies.
In 1968, Elza travelled to the United States and Mexico, where she held several successful shows. During the same year, she also performed for Queen Elizabeth II during a visit to Brazil. Soares became one of the few Brazilian women singers to be featured in films during the 1960s and on television during the 1970s. Her songs were also successful on the radio.
Elza Soares was condemned by the press and society for her controversial relationship with Mané Garrincha while he was still married, in 1962. The footballer left his wife and took up with Elza after the World Cup. Invitations to shows became increasingly scarce. The relationship was marked by domestic violence and Garrincha's alcoholism, which led to his death from liver cirrhosis in 1983, after she filed for divorce. Two of their children died as infants, and two others, Garrinchinha and Gilson, also passed away.
In 1964, Brazil witnessed the rise of a 21-year-long military dictatorship marked by authoritarianism, human rights abuses, political persecution, exile, and censorship. In the 1970s, Elza Soares was persecuted, and her house, shared with Garrincha, was machine-gunned. The motive is not clear, but Elza was not well-regarded because she had recorded a jingle for the former president, João Goulart, who was ousted by the military coup. The couple exiled in Italy for a few years, where Elza recorded in Italian for the local RCA Victor and even replaced Ella Fitzgerald on a tour she had planned for Europe. In 1971, an invitation to perform in Brazil served as a stimulus for the family to return to Brazil.
Back home, Elza’s record label had given all its repertoire to their new promise, Clara Nunes. Elza tried to launch a new project: an album in partnership with Roberto Ribeiro. The record label was hesitant because he was an unknown singer from a samba school unused to the studio, and when they agreed to record him, they began to refuse to feature him on the cover, displaying veiled racism. Elza said that either the album came out or they would lose her, and "Sangue, Suor e Raça" was realized, becoming a huge success and earning Roberto at least one more album with Odeon. Also in the 1970s, the relationship with Odeon deteriorated, and Elza moved to the newly inaugurated Tapecar label. In the same decade, Elza began a tour of the United States and Europe.
In 1984, Caetano Veloso and Elza Soares recorded “Língua” together. It caused a buzz, but not enough to make honey, as her name was not intertwined with success, even though there were some performers and moments where she flirted with Brazilian rock, like her guest appearance on "A Voz da Razão" and collaboration "Milagres." She spent some years in the United States without singing. She came back into the spotlight and word of mouth in 1997 with “Trajetória”, which relied on samba and MPB.
At the turn of the millennium, the BBC elected Elza Soares as the “best singer of the millennium.” Subsequently, she recorded “Do Cóccix até o Pescoço” in 2002, which was a blend of samba, MPB, and rapping. It was nominated for the 2003 Latin Grammy as the best album of Brazilian Popular Music (MPB). In the same year, she released “Vivo Feliz,” which was not a commercial success, but the album mixed samba and bossa nova with electronic music and contemporary effects. This opened a new career path for Elza, who diversified her repertoire to include electronic and rap music that matched her characteristic swinging rhythm and raspy voice.
In 2015, Elza Soares released “A Mulher No Fim do Mundo,” which was her definitive consecration as a singer, marking a new phase in her career and positioning her as a diva of a young generation that did not experience the 1970s and 1980s. The following year, it was awarded as the “best MPB album” at the Latin Grammy Awards. It also made it to the top 10 list of best albums by The New York Times. Afterwards, Elza Soares released “Deus É Mulher,” with women as the songwriters.
Elza Soares’ final album, released in 2019, was titled “Planeta Fome,” featuring collaborations with contemporary artists whom she enjoyed exchanging stickers with. Before the pandemic, Elza Soares was going strong on tour. When everyone was forced to stay at home, she shifted to doing live streams. She missed the warmth of the audience but never considered stopping for a moment, remaining committed to singing until the end.
As much as her voice, Elza Soares was known for her flamboyant make-up, extensive plastic surgery, gigantic wigs, and outrageous dress style.
Elza also had a long-standing relationship with Carnaval, especially with the Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel samba school. She was one of the first women to perform as a singer at the Sambadrome. The life and work of the singer were celebrated in the school's parade in 2020, with Elza herself parading on a float.
As one of the pioneering Black female singers in Brazil to attain prominence – with one of her early albums titled "A Bossa Negra" – she frequently championed equal rights in her lyrics, particularly advocating for women facing domestic abuse, Black individuals, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Soares also utilized her music to combat racism, epitomized in her anthem: “The cheapest meat in the market is the black meat.”
Elza Soares soars.
This piece is also found in Outside Left: https://outsideleft.com/main.php?updateID=3039
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