Leci Brandão earned the distinction of becoming Mangueira's first female member in the Ala dos Compositores during 1974. Among the sambas she composed that achieved popularity are tracks including "Antes Que Eu Volte a Ser Nada," "Olodum Força Divina," and "Dengue," the latter later interpreted by Zezé Motta, along with "Deixa Pra Lá," "Isso É Fundo de Quintal," "Só Quero Te Namorar," "Café Com Pão," and "Papai Vadiou." Her album Um Beijo No Seu Coração earned gold status, while Cidadã Brasileira secured two Sharp prizes.
She began her singing career at age 16 and turned to composing sambas three years afterward. Her initial major recognition arrived in 1968 when she claimed top honors on Flávio Cavalcanti's television program A Grande Chance. In 1973 she triumphed at the II Encontro Nacional de Compositores de Samba by presenting "Quero Sim," a collaboration with Darci da Mangueira. The following year brought second-place recognition for her samba-enredo entry in Mangueira's internal competition for the Carnaval parade, coinciding with the release of her debut single. Her first full-length record, Antes Que Eu Volte a Ser Nada, appeared in 1975 and featured her contribution to the Abertura festival on TV Globo, where the title song placed successfully.
The 1980 release Essa Tal Criatura yielded a nationwide success through its title track. After facing five years of rejection from labels, she devoted greater energy to political campaign performances and embarked on international tours spanning France, Japan, Denmark, the U.S., and Angola. She also joined the Projeto Pixinguinha on two occasions, once alongside Joyce and subsequently with the group Fundo de Quintal. Dignidade arrived in 1987 and included the popular song "Só Quero Te Namorar." The track "Olodum Força Divina," featured on her 1988 album Um Beijo No Seu Coração, marked her first gold-certified work. Two Sharp prizes came her way in 1990 for Cidadã Brasileira, which contained the well-received "Maravilha -- Araketu, Semente da Memória" composed with Tonho Matéria.
