Biography
Violeta Cavalcanti rose to prominence in the 1940s and 1950s through a body of work built on sambas and Carnival marches. The exacting Heitor Villa-Lobos, whose nationwide training initiative kept him in regular touch with young musicians, urged the ten-year-old toward a singing career. While still a teenager she earned praise from Ary Barroso on his program for newcomers. She soon appeared on multiple Rio radio broadcasts and was taken on by Rádio Ipanema. Her debut album reached the public during the 1940 Carnival season, containing “Pulo do Gato” (J. Cascata/F. Correia da Silva) and “Vou Sair de Pai João” (J. Cascata/Leonel Azevedo). In 1941 Rádio Nacional engaged her, and she remained on its roster until 1957. Between 1957 and 1977 Cavalcanti set aside her artistic pursuits to focus on her marriage. A 1977 engagement with Paulinho da Viola led her to resume performing and to begin recording anew. In the 1990s she joined Nora Ney, Carmélia Alves, Ellen de Lima, Rosita Gonzáles, and Zezé Gonzaga—fellow vocalists from radio’s golden era—to create the group As Eternas Cantoras do Rádio, which has also issued CDs.