Relationship With:
- Born: April 20, 1915
- Active: '30s, '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s
- Genres: Latin
Biography
Carmen Miranda's sister Aurora Miranda was born in Brazil (Carmen was born in Portugal) and, aside from Carmen, was the singer who recorded the most in Brazil in the '30s, producing 81 albums and 161 songs. When Carmen was already a recording and radio artist, Aurora, at age 13, was entrusted by her father with the mission of accompanying Carmen in her various commitments. It was in that capacity that Aurora was first noticed by the man who had discovered Carmen, Josué de Barros. Overcoming her extreme shyness, Miranda sang and pleased the violonista (acoustic guitarist) and composer. She then began to appear on the Programa Casé, being invited shortly afterwards by Odeon to record.Her opening as a recording artist was in a duo with Francisco Alves in 1933, on an album including Assis Valente's marcha "Cai, Cai, Balão," and Floriano Ribeiro de Pinho's samba "Toque de Amor." The album sold so well that Aurora signed with Odeon as an exclusive artist. Her following hits were the foxtrot "Você Só...Mente" (Noel Rosa/Hélio Rosa, again in duo with Francisco Alves), the sambas "Fala R.S.C." (José Evangelista) and "Alguém Me Ama" (Benedito Lacerda), and the marcha "Se a Lua Contasse" (Custódio Mesquita). Aurora began to sing in a duo with Carmen, performing in 1934 at the Rádio Record and the Teatro Santana (São Paulo SP) with Carmen, João Petra de Barros, Jorge Murad, and Custódio Mesquita.
In the same year she had the hits "Sem Você" (a samba by Sílvio Caldas/Orestes Barbosa), the samba-canção "Moreno Cor de Bronze" (Custódio Mesquita), and her biggest one, the marcha "Cidade Maravilhosa" (André Filho), a tribute to the city of Rio de Janeiro. The recording, in duo with the author, won second place in 1935's official carnival contest. In 1960, the song became the official anthem of the then-Guanabara state. In 1935, Aurora also participated in the films Alô, Alô, Brasil and Estudantes, recording for the latter the marcha junina "Onde Está o Carneirinho" (Custódio Mesquita). She also recorded "Nego, Neguinho" (Custódio Mesquita/Luís Peixoto) and the samba-choro "Fiz Castelos de Amores" (Gadé/Valfrido Silva). During the next year, she worked in the film Alô, Alô, Carnaval (where she sang "Cantoras do Rádio" in duo with her sister Carmen), and soloed on the samba "Molha o Pano" (Getúlio Marinho/A. Vasconcelos).
She also had a hit with the samba "Bibelô" (André Filho) and recorded her only album in duo with Carmen, which included "Cantores de Rádio" and the samba "Rancor" (Augusto Rocha/Paulo de Frontin Wernek). In 1937 she had success with the marcha "Trenzinho do Amor" (João de Barro/Alberto Ribeiro) and the samba "Deixa a Baiana Sambar" (Portelo Juno/Waldemar Pujol), touring Argentina and Uruguay with Carmen and Bando da Lua. In 1938 she had other hits with the sambas "Vem Pro Barracão" (Nelson Petersen/Oliveira Freitas) and "Vai Acabar" (Nelson Petersen) and the marcha "Dia Sim, Dia Não" (Alberto Ribeiro). In 1939, she worked again with Carmen in the film Banana da Terra (Sonofilms), which presented the successful marchinha "Menina do Regimento" (João de Barro/Alberto Ribeiro), already recorded for RCA Victor. She also had hits with the samba-canção "Roubaram Meu Mulato" (Claudionor Cruz), the samba-choro "Teus Olhos" (Roberto Martins/Ataulfo Alves), and the samba "Acarajé...ô" (Ademar Santana/Leo Cardoso), in duet with Carlos Galhardo. In 1940, she recorded the samba "Paulo, Paulo" (Gadé, in duo with Grande Otelo) and the maxixe "Petisco Do Baile" (Ciro de Souza/Garcez).
Marrying in 1940, Aurora Miranda went to the U.S. with her husband; Carmen, invited by Lee Schubert, had been there since the previous year with Bando da Lua. She was then hired for two and a half years by the Walt Disney studios, appearing in the film Você Já Foi à Bahia? (1944), dubbing films, and working in small parts in Warner Bros., Paramount, and Republic films. She recorded six albums for Decca in that period. She appeared on radio together with Rudy Vallée and Orson Welles, also performing at the Roxy Theater and Copacabana nightclub in New York.
In 1952 she returned to Brazil with her husband and the couple's son and daughter (both born in the U.S.), after which she recorded "Risque" (Ary Barroso) for Continental and also appeared in radio shows. In 1956 she recorded a 10" album through Sinter and two albums for Odeon. During the same year she appeared in shows on São Paulo's TV channel Canal 5. In 1962 she returned to the artistic scene, singing in The Cássio Muniz Show. In 1990 she appeared in Cacá Diegues' film Dias Melhores Virão, singing the old hit "Você Só...Mente." In 1994 she re-recorded the samba "Quando Eu Penso Na Bahia" (Ary Barroso/Luís Peixoto) with Sílvio Caldas for the CD Ary Barroso Songbook. In 1995 she participated in a tribute to Carmen Miranda at Lincoln Center in New York. ~ Alvaro Neder, All Music Guide
