Elza Soares — the legendary Brazilian samba singer who shattered barriers across her decades-long career — has died at 91, her family and team confirmed on her official social media pages.
"The beloved and eternal Elza has been laid to rest, but she will forever be in the history of music and in our hearts and the thousands of fans around the world. Like Elza Soares' wanted, she sang until the very end," the statement read. Soares died of natural causes at her home in Rio de Janeiro.
Soares was born Elza Gomes da Conceição in 1930 in a Rio de Janeiro slum. Her family was impoverished, though music was a constant in their household. Soares was forced to marry at the age of 12 and was a widow by 21, having given birth to seven children, two of whom she would lose shortly afterward.
In an attempt to find money needed to buy medication for her children, Soares appeared on a radio talent show. Poking fun at her appearance, the host asked what planet Soares was from, to which she famously answered "Planet Hunger." Soares won the talent show and began her recording career soon after.
Soares became famous for her distinctive, growling voice and recorded over 35 records in her decades-long career, tearing down barriers and advocating for the rights of women, black and gay people and victims of domestic abuse. Her last album was 2019's Planeta Fome.
In 1999, Soares was called the "singer of the millennium" by the BBC. In 2016, she sang during the opening ceremony for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Watch a 1981 performance of Soares' "Malandro" and revisit 2018's "Luz Vermelha" below.
"The beloved and eternal Elza has been laid to rest, but she will forever be in the history of music and in our hearts and the thousands of fans around the world. Like Elza Soares' wanted, she sang until the very end," the statement read. Soares died of natural causes at her home in Rio de Janeiro.
Soares was born Elza Gomes da Conceição in 1930 in a Rio de Janeiro slum. Her family was impoverished, though music was a constant in their household. Soares was forced to marry at the age of 12 and was a widow by 21, having given birth to seven children, two of whom she would lose shortly afterward.
In an attempt to find money needed to buy medication for her children, Soares appeared on a radio talent show. Poking fun at her appearance, the host asked what planet Soares was from, to which she famously answered "Planet Hunger." Soares won the talent show and began her recording career soon after.
Soares became famous for her distinctive, growling voice and recorded over 35 records in her decades-long career, tearing down barriers and advocating for the rights of women, black and gay people and victims of domestic abuse. Her last album was 2019's Planeta Fome.
In 1999, Soares was called the "singer of the millennium" by the BBC. In 2016, she sang during the opening ceremony for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Watch a 1981 performance of Soares' "Malandro" and revisit 2018's "Luz Vermelha" below.
