Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Simone
Simone in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira
Also known as	Cigarra (Cicada, Buzzer)
Born	(1949-12-25) December 25, 1949 (age 75) Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Genres	Romantic, MPB, samba
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1973–present
Labels	Odeon, EMI, Universal
Associated acts	Ivan Lins, Chico Buarque, Sueli Costa, Isolda, Martinho da Vila, Milton Nascimento

Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira (born December 25, 1949), known simply as Simone, is a famous Brazilian singer. She sings a style of music called MPB, which means "Brazilian Popular Music." Simone has released over 30 albums throughout her career.

Early Life and Sports

Simone was born on December 25, 1949, in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She was the seventh of nine children in her family. When she was a teenager, Simone was a professional basketball player. She even moved to São Paulo to join the Brazilian national women's basketball team. She also studied physical education in Santos, São Paulo.

Starting a Music Career

Simone's journey into music began with a friend, Elodir Barontini, who was a guitar teacher. He invited her to sing at a special dinner with the marketing manager from Odeon Records. Her performance impressed them so much that she was offered a contract to record four albums!

Her first album, named Simone, was recorded in October 1972. It was made with a small budget and only a few musicians. This album was first shared mainly with friends and family. Later, ten years later, it was re-released with a new cover. On March 20, 1973, her debut album was officially launched to the press. Soon after, she appeared on TV for the first time on TV Bandeirantes. She was seen as a promising new talent.

Simone's parents supported her move from sports to singing. Her father was an amateur opera singer, and her mother played the piano. Early in her career, she was invited on an international tour. This tour started with a show at the Olympia in Paris. The tour was organized by Hermínio Bello de Carvalho, a well-known music producer in Brazil. They performed in Paris, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, in Belgium, and in Canada. During this time, she released two albums: Brasil Export 73 and Festa Brasil.

National Recognition and Hit Songs

By 1977, Simone became very famous across Brazil. Some of her popular songs included Jura Secreta, Face a Face, and O Que Será. The song O Que Será, written by Chico Buarque, was used in the movie Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands. This helped make the song, and Simone, even more popular. Simone later said that O Que Será "opened doors" for her career.

In 1978, Simone joined other artists on a tour called Projeto Pixinguinha. This tour brought new singers to audiences across the country. One of her best performances was in 1977 at the João Caetano theatre. She sang "Gota D'Água" and received huge applause. This show helped her gain national fame.

Two years later, on December 12, 1979, her album Pedaços was released. It was loved by critics and sold very well. Over 120,000 people attended the concerts for this album. Pedaços was her first album to earn a "golden disc" award, meaning it sold a lot of copies.

A Top-Selling Artist

According to Revista Veja, a major Brazilian magazine, Simone became a huge star. In February 1980, she performed for 90,000 people at the 'Morumbi Stadium' in São Paulo. She also had her own TV show on Rede Globo, called Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira. This show was part of a series featuring "Grandes Nomes" (Great Names) in music. In 1982, Revista Veja called Simone the biggest-selling album artist of the decade.

Brazilian TV used to show many live music festivals. In the 1980s, a show called Mulher 80 on Rede Globo featured interviews and music about women's roles in society. It highlighted many famous female singers like Elis Regina, Maria Bethânia, and Simone. Another famous singer, Elis Regina, once said about Simone: "I like Simone very much. She has a talent that is ready to shine. She is beautiful, her songs are great, and she is well guided."

At 32, Simone was the first female singer to fill the Maracanãzinho Stadium for a concert. In February 1982, between 15,000 and 20,000 people came to see her perform. In December 1983, she attracted 150,000 people to a New Year's TV show at Quinta da Boa Vista, which was broadcast live by Rede Globo.

As her career grew, Simone also became involved in charity work. She helped raise money for Nordeste já, a Brazilian charity effort similar to "We Are the World" in the US. She recorded two songs for this project, Chega de Mágoa and Seca D'Água, with 155 other singers.

In May 2006, Simone performed a special show in São Paulo. She also had notable performances in Peru, where the audience clapped for over five minutes, and in Miami with Ivan Lins. In June 2007, she performed in Santos with Zélia Duncan for a show called Amigo é Casa. This show was recorded for a DVD and celebrated their two-year partnership.

Simone's Music Style

Simone has interpreted about 350 songs, which is one of the largest collections for a Brazilian female singer. Her songs often explore themes of romantic love and passion, such as Começar de Novo, Jura Secreta, and Raios de Luz. She also sings samba songs like O Amanhã and Ex-amor, and religious songs like Ave Maria and Jesus Cristo.

When she was young, Simone was influenced by singers like Roberto Carlos and Maysa Matarazzo. These artists were known for a style called samba-canção, which had softer melodies and often sadder themes. Simone's love for bolero music comes from this musical background.

Some of her notable albums from the 1990s and 2000s include:

• Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira (1995): This album featured ballads and classic samba songs.
• Café com Leite (1996): A tribute album to the famous samba artist Martinho da Vila.
• Seda Pura (2001): An album where she explored pop music.
• Baiana da Gema (2004): A tribute to Ivan Lins.

Simone is known for interpreting songs by many different composers. Some of the artists whose songs she has sung include Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Martinho da Vila, and Roberto Carlos. Her current performances often include songs by artists like Zélia Duncan, Adriana Calcanhotto, and Zeca Pagodinho.

"Começar de Novo"

The song "Começar de Novo" (meaning "Start Anew") is one of Simone's most famous. It was written especially for a TV series by Ivan Lins and Vítor Martins. Simone was chosen to sing it.

"Começar de Novo" was also recorded by famous American singers like Barbra Streisand and Sarah Vaughan. They sang it with English lyrics, calling it "The Island." Because of her powerful singing, the American music producer Quincy Jones called Simone "one of the world's greatest singers." Other musicians have compared her to Sarah Vaughan, praising her "strong identity, passion, and grace." The famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias has also said that Simone is one of his favorite Brazilian female singers.

Discography Highlights

Simone has released many albums throughout her career. Here are some of her most well-known albums and songs:

Early Albums (EMI)

• 1973 – Simone
• 1977 – Face a Face
• 1978 – Cigarra
• 1979 – Pedaços

Later Albums (Sony BMG / CBS & Universal)

• 1981 – Amar
• 1982 – Corpo e Alma
• 1986 – Amor e Paixão
• 1991 – Raio de Luz
• 1995 – 25 de Dezembro
• 1996 – Café com Leite
• 2001 – Seda Pura
• 2004 – Baiana da Gema

Songs in Brazilian TV Shows (Soap Operas)

Many of Simone's songs have been used as themes for popular Brazilian TV shows, called soap operas (telenovelas).

• Um desejo só não basta (for Corpo a Corpo)
• Pensamentos (for Explode Coração)
• Quem é Você (for A Próxima Vítima)
• É festa (for Senhora do Destino)
• Sentimental demais (for Laços de Família)
• Desafio (for Mulheres de Areia)
• Apaixonada (for Pantanal)
• Então Me Diz (for Belíssima)
• Raios de Luz (for De Corpo e Alma)
• Muito Estranho (for Desejos de Mulher)
• Seu Corpo (for Sassaricando)
• Começar de Novo (for Malu Mulher)
• A Outra (for Roque Santeiro)
• Desesperar jamais (for Água Viva)
• Jura secreta (for O Profeta and Memórias de Amor)
• O que será (for Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands)

See also

In Spanish: Simone (cantante brasileña) para niños