Virginia Rodrigues

While pursuing ambitions in both acting and singing, Virginia Rodrigues drew the notice of Brazilian singer/songwriter Caetano Veloso. Struck by the sensuous quality of her voice, Veloso arranged a recording deal for her on the Hannibal label and served as producer of her first album, Sol Negro. That achievement stands in sharp relief against the economic hardship of her early years, when her mother peddled fruits and vegetables and her father hawked ice cream at a neighborhood street market. Though her parents lacked the means to own a phonograph, Rodrigues first encountered music through her grandfather’s accordion playing. Participation in a Catholic church choir exposed her to Bach and other baroque repertoire, where she also acquired music-reading skills. She later mastered rudimentary piano technique on her own so she could support her vocal practice. The album Sol Negro juxtaposes unaccompanied vocal pieces with tracks featuring harp, contrabass or berimbau, and percussion. Among the contributing artists were Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, and Djavan. Rodrigues has continued her involvement in theater and film, taking a principal part in Jenipapo and appearing in Tieta Do Agreste as well as Diario De Un Convento.