Maria Bethânia

Maria Bethânia is an artist renowned for her unique way of presenting music, intertwining songs with poetic recitals, creating a style that evokes theater. Her professional career began in 1965, when she had the opportunity to replace Nara Leão in the show Opinião in Rio de Janeiro. That same year, she released her first album, titled Maria Bethânia, under the RCA label. This album included the song "Carcará," which became her first major hit. Also in 1965, she recorded a work dedicated to Noel Rosa and participated in other shows such as Arena canta Bahia and Tempo de Guerra, directed by Augusto Boal. Her presence on stages in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro solidified her national recognition.

The career of Bethânia has spanned more than four decades, during which she has released around 50 studio albums. She is recognized as one of the best-selling artists in Brazil, with over 26 million copies sold. Her voice has been praised for its quality, being ranked in 2012 by Rolling Stone Brasil as the fifth best voice in Brazilian music. Bethânia comes from a family with a strong artistic connection; she is the sister of renowned singer-songwriter Caetano Veloso and writer Mabel Velloso, and aunt of singers Belô Velloso and Jota Velloso. Her name was actually chosen by her brother Caetano, inspired by a well-known song.