Always live, always free, this streaming channel features the best female vocalists and instrumental musicians
Listen to The Women Of Brazilian Song streaming channel. An international mix of style, language, and creativity.
by Scott Adams
I’m Scott Adams. I program the Brazilian streaming channels at AccuRadio.com. I’d like to introduce you to The Women of Brazilian Song.
Let me invite you to spend a few minutes with any of our streaming channels. You’ll hear fan favorites from Rio’s Marcela Mangabeira, New York’s Bebel Gilberto, Atlanta’s Janelle Monae, and Sao Paulo’s Jean Felix.
They follow the path forged by the pioneering women of Brazilian music. Begin with Brazil’s first female orchestra leader and composer Chiquinha Gonzaga in the late 1800s. Or Tia Ciata. She nurtured Samba’s birth in Rio de Janeiro, in 1916.
The ‘household names’ of Brazilian music followed. From Carmen Miranda to Elis Regina, whose birthday is March 17th, the official launch day of this channel.
More on Carmen and the legendary Elis Regina, below.
- Looking for more? Tap or click here for all of our Brazilian music streaming channels.
Celebrating The Women of Brazilian Song
This streaming channel celebrates the best singers, songwriters, and instrumental stars of the Brazilian sound. Always live, always free.
But, where do we start? Maybe with Joyce, who was the first femme in Brazilian song to write music from a woman’s point-of-view. Or Gal Costa and Marisa Monte – thought of by many as Brazil’s greatest Divas for their generations.
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Astrud
Astrud Gilberto transformed Bossa Nova and Brazilian jazz by coming to New York as João Gilberto’s wife. She went on to become the world’s musical ‘Girl from Ipanema’.
Back home, Astrud was a virtual unknown due to a plethora of rising stars to fill the feminine sky: Nara Leão, Sylvia Telles, Miucha (read this story), Rita Lee, and Wanda Sa.
That’s the beginning of a long list of stars who paved the way for other women to follow. There’s Rosa Passos, Ana Clara, Luca Mudanca, and Roberta Sa. Maria Rita, Alexia Bomtempo, Daniela Soledade, and Sabrina Malheiros. Mahmundi, Kell Smith, Mariana Nolasco, Fabiana Passoni and many more.
The Women of Brazilian Song: Decades
Carmen Miranda broke cultural barriers in the 30s. She became a larger-than-life symbol of Brazilian vitality. Ultimatleuy, she carried her country’s music with her to the United States.
Elizeth Cardoso was the musical mother who helped to set the stage for Bossa Nova’s first song in the late 50s. Her voice adds another important aspect to our streaming channel for The Women of Brazilian Song.
She represents a cadre of pre-Bossa female vocalists who ruled Brazilian radio in the 50s. She shared those early palylists with Doris Monteiro, Hebe Camargo, Dalva de Oliveira, and Aracy de Almeida.
Instrumental Voices
And that’s just on the vocal side of Brazilian music. Rosinha de Valança picked up her guitar in the mid-60s to break into Rio’s studio scene. She went on to become part of Sergio Mendes’s first US band.
Rosinha de Valança opened the door for generations of Brazilian women players. Eliane Elias, Badi Assad, Celia Vaz, and Tania Maria continue the traditions of Brazilian jazz.
Why We Chose March For The Women of Brazilian Song
March is a month that marks a number of complimentary birthdays. Flora Purim, choro’s Ademilde Fonseca, and singer-songwriter Luca Mundaca. Jazz vocalist Marisa Gata Mansa, Fabiana Passoni, Carol Saboya, and MPB’s Nora Ney celebrate this month. Birthdays for Zizi Possi, Eliane Elias, Anitta, and Astrud Gilberto occur in the last half of March.
Plus, March is Women’s History Month. Fitting.
Celebrating Elis Regina:
Many years ago, I was able to play a part in preserving Elis Regina’s life story. The English version of the book Furacão Elis (Hurricane Elis) by Regina Echeverria was translated by Robert St-Louis. Copies are available in Portuguese, here.
Away from music, Elis was a mother, a wife, and a change agent for Brazil’s music industry. Elis Regina was a very public supporter of women’s rights.
Did you know that in the mid-70s’ Elis Regina underwrote the newspaper Nós Mulheres (We Women)? It was published by the Women’s Association of Sao Paulo.
Furacão Elis is free to read in English anytime from this page.
Happy Listening,
Scott Adams
Listen to The Women of Brazilian Song
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