Elza Soares
- Origin
- Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- Years active
- 1953
- Genres
- samba, jazz, MPB, soul, rock, hip hop, electronic music, samba-enredo
- Instruments
- vocals
Biography
Elza Soares was one of the most important and versatile voices in Brazilian music, whose trajectory of nearly seven decades was marked by overcoming obstacles and avant-gardism. Born into a humble family in Vila Vintém, Rio de Janeiro, she began her career in an iconic way by participating in Ary Barroso's talent show, where, when asked what planet she came from, she categorically replied: "From planet hunger." With a raspy and powerful voice, Elza masterfully moved between samba, jazz, soul and, in her final years, electronic music and rock, becoming a symbol of feminist and anti-racist resistance.
During the 1960s, she established herself as an Odeon star, but faced severe persecution from the press and public opinion due to her relationship with the player Garrincha. Even under attack and periods of exile in Italy and the United States, Elza never stopped reinventing herself. She collaborated with great names such as Caetano Veloso, who helped her revitalize her career in the 1980s with the track "Língua", and Lobão. In the 21st century, she was named "Singer of the Millennium" by the BBC and released albums acclaimed by contemporary critics, such as "A Mulher do Fim do Mundo", reaffirming her position as an eternal artist who sang the pains and glories of Brazil until the end of her life.