Biography
Born in Brazil unlike her Portugal-born sister Carmen, Aurora Miranda ranked as the decade’s most prolific Brazilian recording artist after Carmen, issuing 81 albums and 161 songs. While Carmen already commanded stages and airwaves, their father assigned thirteen-year-old Aurora to chaperone her sibling to every engagement. During one such outing Aurora caught the attention of Josué de Barros, the same talent scout who had launched Carmen. Overcoming intense shyness, she performed for the violonista and composer, who promptly arranged her debut on The Programa Casé and soon secured an Odeon contract.
Aurora entered the studio in 1933, duetting with Francisco Alves on Assis Valente’s marcha “Cai, Cai, Balão” and Floriano Ribeiro de Pinho’s samba “Toque de Amor.” Strong sales prompted Odeon to sign her exclusively. Subsequent successes included the foxtrot “Você Só...Mente” (Noel Rosa/Hélio Rosa, again with Alves), the sambas “Fala R.S.C.” (José Evangelista) and “Alguém Me Ama” (Benedito Lacerda), and the marcha “Se a Lua Contasse” (Custódio Mesquita). She began appearing onstage with Carmen, performing in 1934 at Rádio Record and São Paulo’s Teatro Santana alongside João Petra de Barros, Jorge Murad, and Custódio Mesquita.
That year she scored with the samba “Sem Você” (Sílvio Caldas/Orestes Barbosa), the samba-canção “Moreno Cor de Bronze” (Custódio Mesquita), and her signature marcha “Cidade Maravilhosa” (André Filho), a paean to Rio de Janeiro. Recorded as a duo with the composer, the track placed second in the 1935 official carnival contest; in 1960 it became the official anthem of Guanabara state. Aurora also contributed to the 1935 films Alô, Alô, Brasil and Estudantes, recording the marcha junina “Onde Está o Carneirinho” (Custódio Mesquita) for the latter as well as “Nego, Neguinho” (Custódio Mesquita/Luís Peixoto) and the samba-choro “Fiz Castelos de Amores” (Gadé/Valfrido Silva). In 1936 she appeared in Alô, Alô, Carnaval, harmonizing “Cantoras do Rádio” with Carmen, and released the solo samba “Molha o Pano” (Getúlio Marinho/A. Vasconcelos).
Further hits followed with the samba “Bibelô” (André Filho). She and Carmen cut their sole joint album, featuring “Cantores de Rádio” and the samba “Rancor” (Augusto Rocha/Paulo de Frontin Wernek). In 1937 Aurora enjoyed success with the marcha “Trenzinho do Amor” (João de Barro/Alberto Ribeiro) and the samba “Deixa a Baiana Sambar” (Portelo Juno/Waldemar Pujol), then toured Argentina and Uruguay with Carmen and Bando da Lua. The 1938 sambas “Vem Pro Barracão” (Nelson Petersen/Oliveira Freitas) and “Vai Acabar” (Nelson Petersen) plus the marcha “Dia Sim, Dia Não” (Alberto Ribeiro) also charted. In 1939 she rejoined Carmen for the Sonofilms production Banana da Terra, which showcased the marchinha “Menina do Regimento” (João de Barro/Alberto Ribeiro), already issued on RCA Victor, and she scored 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), the last in duet with Carlos Galhardo. The 1940 releases “Paulo, Paulo” (Gadé, with Grande Otelo) and the maxixe “Petisco Do Baile” (Ciro de Souza/Garcez) rounded out her pre-emigration output.
Following her 1940 marriage, Aurora accompanied her husband to the United States, where Carmen had already arrived the previous year with Bando da Lua at Lee Schubert’s invitation. Walt Disney Studios engaged her for two-and-a-half years; she appeared in Você Já Foi à Bahia? (1944), dubbed voices, and took minor roles in Warner Bros., Paramount, and Republic pictures while cutting six albums for Decca. Radio work with Rudy Vallée and Orson Welles complemented live engagements at New York’s Roxy Theater and Copacabana clubs.
In 1952 Aurora returned to Brazil with her husband and their two American-born children, recording “Risque” (Ary Barroso) for Continental and guesting on radio programs. She released a 10" album on Sinter in 1956 plus two Odeon LPs, and performed on São Paulo’s Canal 5. A 1962 appearance on the Cássio Muniz Show marked her return to the spotlight. In 1990 she sang the vintage hit “Você Só...Mente” in Cacá Diegues’ film Dias Melhores Virão; four years later she re-recorded “Quando Eu Penso Na Bahia” (Ary Barroso/Luís Peixoto) with Sílvio Caldas for the Ary Barroso Songbook CD. She joined a 1995 Lincoln Center tribute to Carmen Miranda in New York.
Aurora entered the studio in 1933, duetting with Francisco Alves on Assis Valente’s marcha “Cai, Cai, Balão” and Floriano Ribeiro de Pinho’s samba “Toque de Amor.” Strong sales prompted Odeon to sign her exclusively. Subsequent successes included the foxtrot “Você Só...Mente” (Noel Rosa/Hélio Rosa, again with Alves), the sambas “Fala R.S.C.” (José Evangelista) and “Alguém Me Ama” (Benedito Lacerda), and the marcha “Se a Lua Contasse” (Custódio Mesquita). She began appearing onstage with Carmen, performing in 1934 at Rádio Record and São Paulo’s Teatro Santana alongside João Petra de Barros, Jorge Murad, and Custódio Mesquita.
That year she scored with the samba “Sem Você” (Sílvio Caldas/Orestes Barbosa), the samba-canção “Moreno Cor de Bronze” (Custódio Mesquita), and her signature marcha “Cidade Maravilhosa” (André Filho), a paean to Rio de Janeiro. Recorded as a duo with the composer, the track placed second in the 1935 official carnival contest; in 1960 it became the official anthem of Guanabara state. Aurora also contributed to the 1935 films Alô, Alô, Brasil and Estudantes, recording the marcha junina “Onde Está o Carneirinho” (Custódio Mesquita) for the latter as well as “Nego, Neguinho” (Custódio Mesquita/Luís Peixoto) and the samba-choro “Fiz Castelos de Amores” (Gadé/Valfrido Silva). In 1936 she appeared in Alô, Alô, Carnaval, harmonizing “Cantoras do Rádio” with Carmen, and released the solo samba “Molha o Pano” (Getúlio Marinho/A. Vasconcelos).
Further hits followed with the samba “Bibelô” (André Filho). She and Carmen cut their sole joint album, featuring “Cantores de Rádio” and the samba “Rancor” (Augusto Rocha/Paulo de Frontin Wernek). In 1937 Aurora enjoyed success with the marcha “Trenzinho do Amor” (João de Barro/Alberto Ribeiro) and the samba “Deixa a Baiana Sambar” (Portelo Juno/Waldemar Pujol), then toured Argentina and Uruguay with Carmen and Bando da Lua. The 1938 sambas “Vem Pro Barracão” (Nelson Petersen/Oliveira Freitas) and “Vai Acabar” (Nelson Petersen) plus the marcha “Dia Sim, Dia Não” (Alberto Ribeiro) also charted. In 1939 she rejoined Carmen for the Sonofilms production Banana da Terra, which showcased the marchinha “Menina do Regimento” (João de Barro/Alberto Ribeiro), already issued on RCA Victor, and she scored 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), the last in duet with Carlos Galhardo. The 1940 releases “Paulo, Paulo” (Gadé, with Grande Otelo) and the maxixe “Petisco Do Baile” (Ciro de Souza/Garcez) rounded out her pre-emigration output.
Following her 1940 marriage, Aurora accompanied her husband to the United States, where Carmen had already arrived the previous year with Bando da Lua at Lee Schubert’s invitation. Walt Disney Studios engaged her for two-and-a-half years; she appeared in Você Já Foi à Bahia? (1944), dubbed voices, and took minor roles in Warner Bros., Paramount, and Republic pictures while cutting six albums for Decca. Radio work with Rudy Vallée and Orson Welles complemented live engagements at New York’s Roxy Theater and Copacabana clubs.
In 1952 Aurora returned to Brazil with her husband and their two American-born children, recording “Risque” (Ary Barroso) for Continental and guesting on radio programs. She released a 10" album on Sinter in 1956 plus two Odeon LPs, and performed on São Paulo’s Canal 5. A 1962 appearance on the Cássio Muniz Show marked her return to the spotlight. In 1990 she sang the vintage hit “Você Só...Mente” in Cacá Diegues’ film Dias Melhores Virão; four years later she re-recorded “Quando Eu Penso Na Bahia” (Ary Barroso/Luís Peixoto) with Sílvio Caldas for the Ary Barroso Songbook CD. She joined a 1995 Lincoln Center tribute to Carmen Miranda in New York.
Albums
