Claudette Soares

Claudette Soares made her radio debut at the age of ten on Rádio Tamoio’s Clube do Guri program. She soon moved among several other stations, earning the nickname Princezinha do Baião through her frequent duets with Luís Gonzaga, the King of Baião. In 1954 she cut her first 78 rpm disc, devoted entirely to the baião style. She later served as house vocalist at the celebrated nightclub inside Hotel Plaza, a key gathering spot for jazz-minded players and a hub where samba jazz flourished; there she collaborated regularly with pianist Luiz Eça. Turning away from baião in 1960, she embraced samba jazz and bossa nova, appearing on São Paulo’s TV Excelsior and in various clubs throughout the city. Alongside Pedrinho Mattar she presented the show Um Show de Show. Her debut solo album, Claudete é Dona da Bossa, arrived in 1964 and focused on bossa nova repertoire. In 1966 she joined Taiguara and the Jongo Trio for a well-received live presentation that was captured on LP. Soares also entered the International Song Festival with the song “Chorar e Cantar.” She has remained active as both performer and recording artist; her most recent releases draw from the full arc of her work, encompassing baião, Tropicália, bossa nova, and 1960s MPB.