Anilza Leoni

Origin

Laguna, SC

Years active

1951–2009

Genres

mpb, teatro de revista

Instruments

voz

Biography

Anilza Leoni, artistic name of Anilza Pinho de Carvalho, was born in Laguna, Santa Catarina, on October 10, 1933, and stood out in Brazilian culture as a singer, actress, dancer, and model. After losing her father in her youth, she moved to Rio de Janeiro with her family and began her artistic career at eighteen, adopting her artistic surname in honor of the famous football player Leônidas da Silva. Throughout her career, she established herself as one of the great starlets of revue theater in the 1950s, performing in prominent productions alongside fundamental names of the national artistic scene.

In addition to her strong presence on revue stages and in cinematic musicals, Anilza built a solid career in Brazilian television, participating in pioneering productions on TV Tupi and memorable soap operas on Rede Globo, such as A Gata Comeu. Her artistic versatility allowed her to move easily between comedy, drama, and music, working with important personalities such as Grande Otelo, Ankito, and Renata Fronzi. In 1990, her talent and dedication to the arts were recognized with the Troféu Mambembe award.

In the final years of her life, even living alone in Rio de Janeiro, she remained active in the cultural milieu, preparing for new theatrical shows until her passing in August 2009. Her contribution to Brazil's music and performing arts remains recorded in her extensive filmography and her participation in the main movements of mid-20th-century Brazilian musical theater. She leaves a legacy of dedication to art, being remembered alongside icons of the era such as Sérgio Porto.