Elza Soares: invincible queen of samba
Born in a Rio de Janeiro favela, Elza Soares overcame poverty and scandal to become one of her country's most beloved singers.
Born in a Rio de Janeiro favela, Elza Soares overcame poverty, child marriage and public scandal to become one of her country's most beloved singers. She started out in the smokey nightclubs of Rio de Janeiro in the 1950s. With her unique raspy voice and the intensity of her dancing, she quickly became a hit on the club scene. In the 1960s a highly publicised relationship with a footballing legend briefly made her a national hate figure, but she came back and now into the seventh decade of her career she continues to be a Brazilian icon.
Image: Elza Soares
Credit: Getty Images/Pedro Gomes
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- Sat 11 May 2019 22:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except Americas and the Caribbean
- Sun 12 May 2019 09:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service
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