Zezé Motta

Internationally recognized for her award-winning portrayal in the title role of Xica da Silva, Zezé Motta has also built a substantial career as a nuanced vocal interpreter. Among her notable successes are the songs “Trocando em Miúdos” by Chico Buarque and Francis Hime, “Dores de Amores” and “Magrelinha” by Luís Melodia, “Senhora Liberdade” by Wilson Moreira and Nei Lopes, “Prazer Zezé” by Rita Lee and Roberto de Carvalho, and “Crioula” by Moraes Moreira. Her stage career began in 1967 when she joined the cast of the historically significant and controversial production Roda-Viva, written by Chico Buarque and staged by José Celso Martinez Corrêa. Additional theater credits include Arena Conta Zumbi in 1969, Orfeu Negro in 1972, and Godspell in 1974. Motta’s first paid singing engagement came in 1971, when she served as vocalist at the Balacobaco and Telecoteco nightclubs in São Paulo; wider public attention followed her appearance at the Modern Art Museum in Rio de Janeiro around the same time. Her recording debut occurred in 1975 with the collaborative LP Gerson Conrad e Zezé Motta, followed three years later by her first solo album, simply titled Zezé Motta. In 1987 she joined Paulo Moura, Djalma Corrêa, and Jorge Degas for the album Quarteto Negro. At the invitation of the Brazilian Diplomatic Service she has performed in Hanover, Germany; Carnegie Hall in New York; as well as in France, Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Angola, and Portugal. Beyond her acclaimed work in Xica da Silva, which received honors in multiple countries, her film résumé includes Vai Trabalhar Vagabundo, Tieta, and Orfeu. On television she has appeared regularly in leading soap operas and series over the past several decades.