Elizeth Cardoso

Elizeth Moreira Cardoso (sometimes listed as Elisete Cardoso) (July 16, 1920 – May 7, 1990), was a singer and actress of great renown in Brazil.

Biography
Cardoso was born in Rio de Janeiro; her father was a serenader who played guitar, and her mother was an amateur singer. Elizeth began working at an early age and between 1930 and 1935 was a store clerk and hairdresser among other things. She was discovered by Jacob do Bandolim at her 16th birthday party, to which he was brought by her cousin Pedro, a popular figure among the musicians of the day. Jacó took her to Rádio Guanabara where, in spite of her father's initial opposition, she appeared on the Programa Suburbano with Vicente Celestino, Araci de Almeida, Moreira da Silva, Noel Rosa and Marília Batista on August 18, 1936. The week after she was hired by the station to appear on a weekly program. Following this, she continued to perform on various shows with multiple radio stations. In the 1960s she had her own radio show.

Due to her low pay, in 1939 she began to perform at clubs, movie theaters and other venues. She met with considerable success and her popularity increased significantly. In 1950, thanks to the support of Ataulfo Alves, she recorded Braços vazios (Acir Alves and Edgard G. Alves) and Mensageiro da saudade (Ataulfo Alves and José Batista), but the album was unsuccessful. Her next recording, also in 1950, met with popular approval. The album included Canção de amor (Chocolate and Elano de Paula), and the samba Complexo (Wilson Batista). The great success of Canção de amor led her, in 1951, to appear on the first television program in Rio de Janeiro on TV Tupi and helped launch her film career. She appeared in Coração materno, by Gilda de Abreu, and Watson Macedo’s É fogo na roupa.

In 1958, Cardoso was invited by Vinicius de Moraes to be the singer of an album of songs written by himself and Tom Jobim. Canção do Amor Demais became the first album of bossa nova music, launching the new genre. The album was released on the Festa label. While Cardoso was not primarily considered a bossa nova singer, she is the vocalist on the original version of the bossa classic Manhã de Carnaval from the Orfeu Negro soundtrack.

Elizeth continued to sing and act with great success until her death. By the end of her life she had released well over 40 albums in Brazil, Portugal and other countries. During almost seven decades of artistic life, she interpreted many forms of music, but her base was always sambaed, which she performed with great personality, and which earned her nicknames such as: A Noiva do Samba-Canção (the Bride of Samba), Lady do Samba, A Magnifica (the Magnificent One), and the one most connected with her name, A Divina (the Divine One).

Cardoso died of cancer at the age of 69.

Tribute
On July 16, 2021, Google celebrated her 101st birthday with a Google Doodle.

Discography

 * 1950 Braços vazios/Mensageiro da saudade
 * 1950 Complexo/Canção de amor
 * 1950 Vem para os braços meus/A mentira acaba
 * 1951 Dá-me tuas mãos/O amor é uma canção
 * 1951 Se eu pudesse/Quem diria?
 * 1951 É sempre assim/Falsos beijos
 * 1951 Cantiga de Natal/31 de dezembro
 * 1952 As palavras não dizem tudo/Venho de longe
 * 1952 Nosso amor, nossa comédia/Maus tratos
 * 1952 Eu não posso dizer/Teu ciúme
 * 1952 Amor, amor/Caixa postal zero zero
 * 1952 Ingratidão/O homem do passado
 * 1953 Alguém como tu/Nem resta a saudade
 * 1953 Fantasia/Graças a Deus
 * 1953 Ai, ai, Janot./Amor que morreu
 * 1954 Pra que voltar?/Ao Deus-dará
 * 1954 Brigas de amor/Vida vazia
 * 1954 Seresteiro/Palhaço
 * 1954 Ocultei/Zanguei com meu amor
 * 1954 Só você, mais nada/Caminha
 * 1955 A moça do retrato/Tormento
 * 1955 Subúrbio/Não quero você
 * 1955 Águas passantes/Velha praça
 * 1955 Amanhã será tarde/Não tenho lar
 * 1955 Canções à meia luz
 * 1956 Canção da volta/Linda flor
 * 1956 Amor oculto/Velhas memórias
 * 1956 Na madrugada/O amor é fado
 * 1956 Fim de noite
 * 1957 Noturno
 * 1957 Aconteceu no Uruguai/Tem jeito, sanfona
 * 1957 Chove lá fora/Nunca é tarde
 * 1957 Música e poesia de Fernando Lobo
 * 1957 Um compositor em dois tempos – Jubileu de prata de Herivelto Martins
 * 1958 É luxo só/Por acaso
 * 1958 Madame Fulano de Tal/Conselho inútil
 * 1958 Na cadência do samba/Praça sete
 * 1958 Naturalmente
 * 1958 Retrato da noite
 * 1958 Canção do Amor Demais
 * 1959 E daí?/Sozinha
 * 1959 Magnífica
 * 1960 Cheiro de saudade/Até quando
 * 1960 Velhos tempos/Cidade do interior
 * 1960 O amor e a rosa/Bebeco e Doca
 * 1960 A canção dos seus olhos/Ri
 * 1960 Mulata assanhada
 * 1960 Vem hoje/Guacira
 * 1960 A meiga Elizeth
 * 1960 Sax – Voz
 * 1961 Palhaçada./Samba triste
 * 1961 Nossos momentos/Tentação do inconveniente
 * 1961 Balão apagado/Notícia de jornal
 * 1961 Deixa andar/Vaga-lumeando
 * 1961 Deixa andar/Nosso momentos
 * 1961 Sax – Voz – Nº.2
 * 1962 Moeda quebrada/Ninguém sabe de nós
 * 1962 Canção da manhã feliz/Na cadência do samba
 * 1962 Briguei/Seja lá o que Deus quiser
 * 1962 A miega Elizeth Nº.2
 * 1963 Eu quero amar/Se vale a pena
 * 1963 Mulher carioca/Menino travesso
 * 1963 Seu José/Não pense em mim
 * 1963 Grandes momentos com Elizeth Cardoso
 * 1963 A meiga Elizeth Nº.3
 * 1963 Elizeth canta seus maiores sucessos
 * 1963 Elizeth interpreta Vinícius
 * 1963 A meiga Elizeth Nº.4
 * 1964 A meiga Elizeth Vol.5
 * 1965 Elizeth sobe o morro
 * 1965 Quatrocentos anos de samba
 * 1966 A bossa eterna de Elizeth e Cyro, Elizeth Cardoso e Cyro Monteiro
 * 1966 Muito Elizeth
 * 1967 A enluarada Elizeth
 * 1968 Ao vivo no Teatro João Caetano – Volume I – Elizeth Cardoso, Zimbo Trio e Jacob do Bandolim
 * 1968 Ao vivo no Teatro João Caetano – Volume II – Elizeth Cardoso, Zimbo Trio e Jacob do Bandolim
 * 1968 Momento de amor
 * 1969 Elizeth e Zimbo Trio na Sucata
 * 1970 A bossa eterna de Elizeth e Ciro – Nº 2 – Elizeth Cardoso e Cyro Monteiro
 * 1970 Elizeth, a exclusiva
 * 1970 É de manhã – Elizeth Cardoso e Zimbo Trio
 * 1970 Falou e disse
 * 1970 Elizeth no Bola Preta com a Banda do Sodré
 * 1971 Elizeth Cardoso e Silvio Caldas
 * 1971 Elizeth Cardoso e Silvio Caldas – Vol. II
 * 1971 Elizeth Cardoso – Disco de ouro
 * 1971 Elizeth Cardoso LATINO
 * 1972 Elizeth Cardoso TAL
 * 1972 Preciso aprender a ser só
 * 1974 Mulata maior
 * 1974 Elizeth / Feito em casa
 * 1974 Edição histórica – VOL. 3
 * 1975 Elizeth Cardoso
 * 1975 Bossaudade – A bossa eterna
 * 1976 Elizeth Cardoso
 * 1977 Elizeth Cardoso
 * 1977 Elizeth Cardoso, Jacob do Bandolim, Zimbo Trio e Época de Ouro
 * 1978 Live in Japan
 * 1978 A cantadeira do amor
 * 1979 O inverno do meu tempo
 * 1980 Elizeth Cardoso nº 1
 * 1980 Elizeth Cardoso nº 2
 * 1980 Elizeth Cardoso nº 3
 * 1981 Elizethíssima
 * 1982 Recital
 * 1982 Outra vez Elizeth
 * 1983 Elizeth – Uma rosa para Pixinguinha
 * 1984 Leva meu samba-Elizeth Cardoso e Ataulfo Júnior
 * 1986 Luz e Esplendor
 * 1989 Elizeth Cardoso – Jacob do Bandolim – Zimbo Trio e Conj. Época de Ouro
 * 1989 Elizeth Cardoso
 * 1991 Ary Amoroso
 * 1991 Todo sentimento

Compilation albums

 * Raízes do Samba