Elza Soares Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Elza Soares
Soares in 1971
Background information
Birth name	Elza Gomes da Conceição
Born	(1930-06-23)23 June 1930 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Died	20 January 2022(2022-01-20) (aged 91) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Genres	Samba bossa nova MPB
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1950–2022
Labels	Odeon

Elza Soares (born Elza Gomes da Conceição; 23 June 1930 – 20 January 2022) was a famous Brazilian samba singer. In 1999, the BBC Radio named her "Singer of the Millennium" along with Tina Turner. This means she was seen as one of the most important singers of her time.

Elza Soares was a strong voice in Brazil. During a time when Brazil had a very strict government (from 1964 to 1985), some people in power saw her as a problem. In 1970, her house in Rio de Janeiro was attacked. Her partner, the famous soccer player Garrincha, and their children were inside. After this, Elza and Garrincha had to leave Brazil for a while and went to Italy to be safe.

Elza Soares's Life Story
- Family and Challenges
Elza Soares's Music Career
- Working with Others
- Later Albums and Awards
Discography
Images for kids
See also

Elza Soares's Life Story

Elza Gomes da Conceição was born on 23 June 1930 in Padre Miguel, Rio de Janeiro. Her father, Avelino Gomes, worked in a factory and played guitar. Her mother, Rosária Maria da Conceição, was a washerwoman. Elza grew up in a poor neighborhood called a favela in Padre Miguel, Rio de Janeiro.

Even though her family was poor, Elza had a happy childhood. She played games on the streets, flew kites, and had fun with other kids. She even had to carry buckets of water on her head, which was a common chore.

When Elza was 12, she got married. Soon after, she had her first child, João Carlos. Elza loved to sing. One day, her son needed medicine, and she didn't have money. She decided to enter a singing contest on the radio, hosted by Ary Barroso. She won some money, which helped her buy the medicine.

Elza had another child who sadly passed away when she was fifteen. Later, her husband became very sick, and Elza started working at a soap factory to support her family. By the time she was 21, she was a widow, meaning her husband had died. She was left to raise her four boys and one girl by herself. Her dream was always to become a singer.

Family and Challenges

When Elza was 32, she started a relationship with the famous soccer player Garrincha. They were a very well-known couple and stayed together for 16 years (1968–1982). They had one son, Garrincha Jr., born in 1976. Garrincha passed away in 1983, which was very sad for Elza, even though they were no longer together.

Elza faced many difficult times. In 1986, her son, Garrincha Jr., died in a car accident when he was only 9 years old. This was a very hard moment for her. After this, she left Brazil for a while and performed concerts in Europe and the United States.

Years later, Elza was reunited with a daughter she had lost touch with. In 2015, another one of her sons, Gerson, passed away at 59 years old. Elza had six children in total: João Carlos, Gerson, Gilson, Dilma, Sara, and Garrincha Jr. Elza Soares passed away at her home in Rio de Janeiro on 20 January 2022, when she was 91 years old.

Elza Soares's Music Career

In 1958, Elza Soares toured Argentina for eight months. She became very popular with her first song, "Se Acaso Você Chegasse." In this song, she used a special singing style called "scat singing," which is like adding jazz sounds to samba music. She later moved to São Paulo and performed in theaters and nightclubs. Her unique, strong voice became her special sound.

After recording her second album, A Bossa Negra, she went to Chile to represent Brazil at the 1962 FIFA World Cup. There, she met the famous American jazz singer Louis Armstrong.

Working with Others

From 1967 to 1969, Elza recorded three albums with the record company Odeon. She sang many songs as duets with another singer named Miltinho. These albums were very popular and were later re-released on CD.

In the 1970s, Elza toured the United States and Europe, sharing her music with the world. In 2000, the BBC in London named her "Best Singer of the Millennium." She performed a big concert there with other famous Brazilian artists like Gal Costa, Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso.

Elza Soares had many hit songs in Brazil throughout her career. Some of her popular songs include "Se Acaso Você Chegasse" (1960), "Boato" (1961), and "Aquarela Brasileira" (1974).

Later Albums and Awards

In 2002, Elza's album Do Cóccix Até O Pescoço was nominated for a Grammy Award. She worked with many great musicians on this album, including Caetano Veloso and Chico Buarque. In 2004, she released Vivo Feliz, which included a song called "Rio de Janeiro" as a tribute to her hometown. This album continued to mix samba and bossa nova with modern electronic music.

In 2007, Elza was asked to sing the Brazilian National Anthem without any instruments (a cappella) at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games. This was a great honor.

In 2016, her album A Mulher do Fim do Mundo (meaning Woman at the End of the World) was released around the world. She also performed at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she sang a famous song called "O Canto de Ossanha."

A Mulher do Fim do Mundo was highly praised by music critics. It won an award for Best Album in its category and was nominated for other awards at the Latin Grammy Awards.

Her album Deus É Mulher (meaning God Is Woman) was named one of the best Brazilian albums of 2018 by Rolling Stone magazine in Brazil. Her next album, Planet Fome (meaning Hunger Planet), also received high praise in 2019. For this album, she planned to record a song with the band Titãs, and it was later released in 2020.