Nilze Carvalho

Origin

Nova Iguaçu, RJ

Years active

1970

Genres

choro, samba, mpb

Instruments

bandolim, cavaquinho, voz

Biography

Nilze Carvalho, stage name of Albenise de Carvalho Ricardo, was born in Nova Iguaçu on June 28, 1969. Since childhood, she stood out as a prodigy instrumentalist, playing the cavaquinho at the age of five and making early television appearances in Brazil during the 1970s.

At the age of twelve, she began her discography with the first volume of the Choro de Menina series, establishing herself as a mandolinist in the choro circuit and going on international tours while still a teenager. Throughout her instrumental career, she had the opportunity to work with important ensembles and names in Brazilian music, such as the Época de Ouro group, founded by Jacob do Bandolim.

In the 2000s, she expanded her artistic work into singing and helped found the group Sururu na Roda, actively participating in the cultural revitalization of Lapa, in Rio de Janeiro. As a singer and instrumentalist, she has shared stages and projects with major exponents of samba and MPB, including Dona Ivone Lara, Zeca Pagodinho, Nelson Sargento, Monarco, Cristóvão Bastos, Nei Lopes, and Cristina Buarque, accumulating nominations for significant awards such as the TIM Music Award and the Latin Grammy.