From the 1930s through the 1960s Linda Batista commanded enormous popularity by cutting albums, broadcasting on radio, touring abroad, and acting in feature films. Among the many successes she notched were “Tudo é Brasil” (Vicente Paiva/Sá Roris, 1941), “Batuque No Morro” (Russo do Pandeiro/Sá Roris, 1941), “Clube Dos Barrigudos” (Cristóvão de Alencar/Haroldo Lobo, Carnival of 1944), “No Boteco Do José” (Wilson Batista/Augusto Garcez, 1946), “Enlouqueci” (Luís Soberano/Valdomiro Pereira/João Sales, 1948), “Nega Maluca” (Fernando Lobo/Evaldo Rui, Carnival of 1950—one of her biggest hits), and “Vingança” (Lupicínio Rodrigues, 1951—her biggest hit).
Dircinha Batista’s sister, Linda began taking violão lessons at age ten with Patrício Teixeira and promptly composed her first piece. From age twelve she supported Dircinha at the Casa do Estudante while Dircinha kept her sibling’s songs in regular rotation. At thirteen she received an invitation to appear on Gastão Lamounier’s program at Rádio Sociedade. Filling in for Dircinha at Rádio Cajuti, she delighted listeners and producers alike, who offered her an informal contract on the spot. In 1937 she was voted Queen of Radio, a distinction she held for eleven straight years. That same year she journeyed through the north, appeared in the film Maridinho De Luxo, signed with Odeon (remaining there until 1940), married and divorced, and became the featured singer with the Kolman Orchestra at the Cassino da Urca. In 1938 she made her first recordings and joined Carmen Miranda, Dircinha, Almirante, Carlos Galhardo, Bando da Lua, and others in the cast of Banana da Terra.
In São Paulo she enjoyed a run at Rádio Cultura before taking a six-month engagement at the Casino of Porchat Isle. Back in Rio during 1939, she rejoined the Cassino da Urca in a prominent role that lasted until President Dutra’s 1945 decree shuttered Brazil’s casinos. She moved to Victor in 1940 and stayed with the label until 1960. Buenos Aires engagements followed in 1941 and 1942. Her initial radio contract was with Nacional; she switched to Tupi in 1943. In 1945 she visited several state capitals, then appeared the next year in the film Caídos Do Céu. A 1951 tour took her to Portugal, France, and Italy, where she also filmed Agüenta Firme, Isidoro. Subsequent screen credits included Tudo Azul, Está Com Tudo, É Fogo Na Roupa (1952), Carnaval em Caxias and O Petróleo É Nosso (1954), Carnaval Em Marte (1955), Tira A Mão Daí and Depois Eu Conto (1956), Metido A Bacana (1957), É De Chuá (1958), and Mulheres À Vista (1959). She performed in Uruguay during 1957 and 1958 and in Argentina in 1959. That year she received the Noel Rosa trophy. In 1960 she scored a major success with the Carlos Machado revue Varieties at the Night and Day nightclub. Like other leading figures of Brazilian song’s golden era, Linda Batista withdrew from regular performing in 1960, making only sporadic returns to introduce new Carnival marchinhas.
