You may not be familiar with her, but in her home town of Rio de Janerio, she’s already something of a musical legend, for playing a leading role in the rebirth of Samba’s growing popularity. Teresa Cristina is Rio’s new voice of Samba.
Teresa Cristina was at the vanguard of the Carioca Samba movement and when not touring the world with Caetano Veloso, can be found singing in the legendary samba clubs, in Lapa.
Many of the songs you will hear her sing are from ‘Canta Cartola’, her tribute album and DVD to Cartola, one of Brazil’s pioneering voices of Samba who helped to set an early standard for Samba’s popularity.
Cartola was born at the beginning of the 20th century and raised in a favela of Rio de Janeiro called Mangueira, which was one of the cradles of samba and home to one of the most popular samba schools of Rio, Estação Primeira de Mangueira.
Cartola’s many timeless classics include “As Rosas não Falam” and “O Mundo É um Moinho.” He remains a great influence on other samba artists and fans who love his enduring songs.
The New York Times said: “Canta Cartola feels fully embodied, as if Ms. Cristina had written the songs herself. There’s no sentimental distancing or fetishizing of the songs. She’s totally engaged in them; she laughs while singing them, and she dredges the beauty out of them.” Teresa Cristina is Rio’s new voice of Samba.
Our thanks to Teresa Cristina’s label, Nonesuch, for its contribution to this story, who adds:
Teresa Cristina is currently one of the best known singers in Brazil, revitalizing one of the country’s most beloved musical styles, samba.
The Cartola concert was a tribute to Cartola and his legacy. Cristina, who has been considered an icon of samba since the beginning of her career, interprets music of the greatest names in Brazilian popular music, such as Nelson Cavaquinho, Antônio Candeia, Paulinho da Viola, and Cartola.
