Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira

Infobox Musical artist


Img_size = 150
Name = Simone
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira
Alias = "Cigarra" ("Cicada", "Buzzer")
Born = December 25, 1949
Origin = Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Genre = Romantic, MPB, Samba
Occupation = Singer
Associated acts = Ivan Lins, Chico Buarque, Sueli Costa, Martinho da Vila
Years_active = 1973- present
Label = Odeon, EMI, Universal
URL = [http://www.Simone.art.br/ www.Simone.art.br]

Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira, better known as Simone, is a Brazilian singer and a major performer of MPB who has recorded more than 31 albums. [ [http://wc10.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jpfexqu5ld0e~T1 All Music Profile: Simone - Biography] ]

Biography

Simone was born on December 25, 1949 in Salvador, Bahia as the seventh daughter in a family of nine children. During her teenage years she was a professional basketball player and moved to São Paulo to become a member of the women's national basketball team. She studied in Santos (São Paulo), majoring in Physical Education.

Career

Simone's career in music begun when guitar teacher Elodir Barontini invited her to sing in a pre-schedule dinner with "Odeon Records"' marketing manager. At the end of this meeting she received an offer to record four albums. Her debut album was recorded in October 1972 and produced by José Briamonte. This inaugural edition was circulated only among friends, relatives and other artists. Ten years later it was re-edited and given a full release with a different cover. On March 20 1973, "Simone" was introduced to the press in a closed meeting at the "Hilton Hotel" in São Paulo. She made her television debut on "TV Bandeirantes".

She toured Europe and North America in 1973, starting with a presentation at the "Olympia", in Paris [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jpfexqu5ld0e~T1 Biography at "AllMusic.com"] ] . This tour was organized by Hermínio Bello de Carvalho. They performed at "Olympia", "Madison Square Garden" in New York, Belgium and Canada and two albums were released after the tour: "Brasil Export 73" and "Festa Brasil". Both albums were produced by Hermínio Bello who would also produce Simone's next two albums, "Quatro paredes" and "Gotas d´água".

In 1977, Simone reached national recognition singing "Jura Secreta", "Começar de novo", "Face a face" and "O que será". The last, by Chico Buarque was featured on the soundtrack of the movie "Dona Flor e seus dois maridos". On August 25, 1977, she joined Belchior at the "João Caetano" theater presenting "Seis e meia". In 1978 from June 16th to September 15th, she was one of several artists featured in "Projeto Pixinguinha", a recently established group of new singers who traveled the country performing together. Two years later, "Pedaços" was released to public and critical acclaim. Simone was the first artist ever to sing "Caminhando" after censorship's lift.

After the success of "Caminhando", Simone songs would continue to be more politically vocal. At the end of the broadcasted "Delírios e delicias" show she claimed "Diretas Já" in demand for democracy and the end of dictatorship. In 1989, along with Marília Pêra and Claudia Raia, she publicly supported right-wing candidate Fernando Collor de Mello. [ [http://www.paulogoncalo.com/26112002jd.htm "Me cansei de ver tanta coisa errada, de gente que promete, promete e não faz nada. Não participei da campanha deste ano porque me sinto cansada de tanta impunidade que existe no nosso país"] ] .

'Rede Globo', recorded alive at the 'Globo Theater' in March 1980, was her first album to go gold. In 1979, she was present at the "Festival de Música Popular Brasileira", interpreting "Para Lennon & McCartney " by Márcio and Lô Borges and Fernando Brant.

At the age of thirty two she became the first female singer to fill the "Maracanazinho Stadium". In February 1982 15 to 20 thousand people crowded "Canta Brasil" to see her perform music by Milton Nascimento, Ary Barroso, Chico Buarque, Tom Jobim, Fernando Brant, Vítor Martins, Paulo César Pinheiro, Hermínio Bello de Carvalho, Isolda, Sueli Costa and Abel Silva; In December 1983 she drew a crowd of 150 thousand people to "Quinta da Boa Vista" to see a live transmission of "Rede Globo" for a New Year's TV show.

As her success grew, Simone continued to be involved in political activities. She helped raise funds with "Nordeste já" [ [http://www.raimundofagner.com.br/nordesteja.htm Nordeste já] ] , a Brazilian version of the American charity efforts "We are the world" or "USA for Africa". The 155 chorus voices recorded a compact disc with two songs, "Chega de mágoa" and "Seca d´água". However the effort was criticized for the poor harmonization of the voices in the performance.

Simone has performed duets with many other well known artists, including Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Isolda, Roberto Carlos, Martinho da Vila, Zeca Pagodinho, João Bosco, Ivan Lins, Gal Costa, Toquinho, Cazuza, Erasmo Carlos, Gonzaguinha, Ney Matogrosso, José Luis Rodrigues, José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Pablo Milanes, Julio Iglesias, Luís Represas, Fátima Guedes, Grupo "Olodum" da Bahia, "Meninas Cantoras de Petrópolis", Daniela Romo, Eugénia Melo e Castro, Dulce Pontes, Hebe Camargo, Marília Gabriela, Ângela Maria, and Zélia Duncan.

Her albums have sold over 7.2 million copies with twenty gold albums, sixteen platinum albums, and one diamond album. Her Christmas album, "December 25", sold over 1.2 million copies.

Discography

EMI

* 1973 - "Simone"
* 1973 - "Brasil Export"
* 1973 - "Expo Som 73 - ao vivo"
* 1974 - "Festa Brasil"
* 1974 - "Quatro Paredes"
* 1975 - "Gotas D'Água"
* 1977 - "Face a Face"
* 1978 - "Cigarra"
* 1979 - "Pedaços"
* 1980 - "Simone Ao Vivo no Canecão"
* 1980 - "Simone" (Atrevida)

ony BMG / CBS

* 1981 - "Amar"
* 1982 - "Corpo e Alma"
* 1983 - "Delírios e Delícias"
* 1984 - "Desejos"
* 1985 - "Cristal"
* 1986 - "Amor e Paixão"
* 1987 - "Vício"
* 1988 - "Sedução"
* 1989 - "Simone" (Tudo por Amor)
* 1991 - "Raio de Luz"
* 1991 - "Simone - Procuro Olvidarte" (Espanhol) (featuring Hernaldo Zúñiga)
* 1993 - "Sou Eu"
* 1993 - "La Distancia" (Espanhol)
* 1995 - "Simone Simone"
* 1995 - "Dos Enamoradas" (Espanhol)

Universal / Polygram

* 1995 - "25 de Dezembro"
* 1996 - "Café com Leite"
* 1996 - "25 de diciembre" (Espanhol)
* 1997 - "Brasil, O Show" - ao vivo
* 1998 - "Loca" (Espanhol)
* 2000 - "Fica Comigo Esta Noite"
* 2001 - "Seda Pura"
* 2002 - "Feminino" - ao vivo

EMI

* 2004 - "Baiana da Gema"
* 2005 - "Simone ao Vivo"

Brazilian soap opera theme songs

* Um desejo só não basta (Corpo a Corpo) - Sony
* Pensamentos (Explode Coração) - Universal
* Íntimo (Uma Esperança no Ar) - Sony
* Naquela noite com Yoko (Brilhante) - Sony
* Quem é Você (A Próxima Vítima) - Sony
* É festa (Senhora do Destino) - Universal
* Sentimental demais (Laços de Família) - Universal
* Será (Perigosas Peruas) - Sony
* Desafio (Mulheres de Areia) - Sony
* Apaixonada (Pantanal) - Sony
* Então Me Diz (Belíssima) - EMI
* Raios de Luz (De Corpo e Alma) - Sony
* Muito Estranho (Desejos de Mulher) - Universal
* Veneziana (A Lua me Disse) - EMI
* Seu Corpo (Sassaricando) - Sony
* Loca-Crazy (Torre de Babel) - Universal
* Tô Que Tô (Sol de Verão) - Sony
* Anjo de Mim (Anjo de Mim) - Sony
* Em Flor (Roda de Fogo) - Sony
* Amor explícito (Corpo Santo) - Sony
* Carta Marcada (Araponga) - Sony
* Beija, Me Beija, Me Beija (O Amor Está no Ar) - Universal
* Uma Nova Mulher (Tieta) - Sony
* Sob Medida (Os Gigantes) - EMI
* Saindo de Mim (Chega Mais) - EMI
* Medo de Amar nº 2 (Sinal de Alerta) - EMI
* Povo da Raça Brasil (Terras do Sem Fim) - EMI
* Mulher da Vida (Champagne) - Sony
* O Tempo Não Pára (O Salvador da Pátria) - Sony
* Começar de Novo (Malu Mulher) - EMI
* A Outra (Roque Santeiro) - Sony
* Desesperar jamais (Água Viva) - EMI
* Face a Face (O Pulo do Gato) - EMI
* Valsa do Desejo (Força de um Desejo) - Universal
* Mundo Delirante (Elas por Elas) - Sony
* Vento nordeste (Pé de Vento) - EMI
* Existe um céu (Paraíso Tropical) - EMI
* Jura secreta (O Profeta e Memórias de Amor) - EMI
* Cigarra (Cara a Cara) - EMI'
* Ela disse-me assim (Os Imigrantes - Terceira Geração) - EMI
* Então vale a pena (Salário mínimo) - EMI
* O que será (Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos) - EMI
* Enrosco (Paixões Proibidas) - EMI

References and notes

External links

* [http://www.simone.art.br Simone´s Official Web Site]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jpfexqu5ld0e~T0 All Music.com]