A great voice died out. Brazilian singing diva Elza Soares died Thursday at the age of 91 in Rio de Janeiro. “It is with great sadness and sorrow that we inform you of the death of singer and songwriter Elza Soares, at the age of 91. […] in his house in Rio de Janeiro, of natural causes», indicates the press release posted on the artist’s Instagram account.
With more than thirty records to her credit over more than 60 years of career, the black diva with her characteristic hoarse timbre was one of the greatest figures of Brazilian song. In 1999, the BBC even crowned her “Brazilian singer of the millennial”. Elza Soares aura “had an extraordinary, intense life, which moved the world with his voice, his strength and his determination”, adds the press release released Thursday evening.
Forced to marry at 12, widowed at 21
Elza Gomes da Conceição Soares was also a symbol of resistance and courage, as her life was marked by personal dramas. Daughter of a worker and a laundress, she was born on June 23, 1930 in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. Her father had forced her to marry at 12, she became a mother the following year. She had seven children by her first husband, two of whom died prematurely. Widowed at 21, she confessed to stealing food to feed her children.
She then lived for seventeen years with the Brazilian footballer Mané Garrincha, with whom she had a son who died prematurely at the age of nine. “Beloved and eternal Elza has gone to rest, but she will forever remain in music history and in our hearts and in those of millions of fans around the world. As Elza Soares wished, she sang until the end., the statement concludes.