Leny Andrade
- Origin
- Rio de Janeiro, RJ
- Years active
- 1958
- Genres
- jazz, bossa nova, MPB, samba
- Instruments
- vocals
Biography
Leny Andrade was a preeminent Brazilian singer often hailed as the nation's greatest jazz vocalist. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1943, she began her musical education early with a scholarship to the Brazilian Conservatory of Music. Her professional journey started in the late 1950s as a crooner for Permínio Gonçalves' orchestra before she became a fixture in the legendary Beco das Garrafas scene. During this formative period, she performed at iconic venues like Bacará alongside the Sérgio Mendes trio.\n\nShe achieved significant commercial and critical acclaim in 1965 with the show 'Gemini V,' performing with Pery Ribeiro and the Bossa Três. Andrade was a sophisticated interpreter of the Bossa Nova movement, blending its rhythmic nuances with the improvisational freedom of American jazz. Her career was marked by international stays in Mexico and the United States, which solidified her reputation on the global stage as a versatile and technically brilliant performer.\n\nThroughout her extensive discography, she paid tribute to masters of Brazilian music, recording dedicated albums to the works of Cartola, Nelson Cavaquinho, and Antonio Carlos Jobim. In her later years, she collaborated with renowned pianist Cesar Camargo Mariano. Andrade passed away in July 2023 in her hometown of Rio de Janeiro, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most sophisticated voices in the history of MPB and Jazz.