Biography

Linda Batista enjoyed mass popularity from the '30s to the '60s, recording albums, performing on the radio, touring internationally, and working in the cinema. Among her many hits, "Tudo é Brasil" (Vicente Paiva/Sá Roris, 1941), "Batuque No Morro" (Russo do Pandeiro/Sá Roris, 1941), "Clube Dos Barrigudos" (Cristóvão de Alencar/Haroldo Lobo, Carnival of 1944), "No Boteco Do José" (Wilson Batista/Augusto Garcez, 1946), "Enlouqueci" (Luís Soberano/Valdomiro Pereira/João Sales, 1948), "Nega Maluca" (Fernando Lobo/Evaldo Rui, Carnival of 1950, one of her biggest hits), and "Vingança" (Lupicínio Rodrigues, 1951, her biggest hit) may be mentioned. The sister of Dircinha Batista, Linda took violão (acoustic guitar) classes with Patrício Teixeira at ten and wrote her first composition. Since the age of 12, she was accompanying Dircinha in her performances at the Casa do Estudante, while Dircinha always kept her sister's songs in her repertory. At 13, she was invited to perform in the Gastão Lamounier show at Rádio Sociedade. Subbing for Dircinha at Rádio Cajuti, Linda pleased the audience and the producers, who hired (informally, as the usage went) her for the outing. In 1937, she was elected Queen of Radio, a title that she would keep for 11 consecutive years. In 1937, she toured the north, worked in the film Maridinho De Luxo, signed with Odeon (where would remain until 1940), married, divorced, and became the crooner of the Kolman Orchestra at the Cassino da Urca. In 1938, she recorded her first album and worked in the film Banana da Terra, together with Carmen Miranda, Dircinha, Almirante, Carlos Galhardo, Bando da Lua, and others. In São Paulo, she had a season at the Rádio Cultura and was hired for the Casino of Porchat Isle, where she remained for six months. Returning in to Rio in 1939, she was immediately hired again by the Cassino da Urca, for a highly visible position that she would keep until the closing of the casinos in Brazil by decree of president Dutra, in 1945. In 1940, she signed with Victor, where she would record until 1960. In 1941 and 1942, she toured Buenos Aires. Her first contract in radio was with Nacional, which she exchanged for Tupi in 1943. In 1945, she toured several Brazilian capitals, and, in the next year, worked in the film Caídos Do Céu. In 1951, she toured Portugal, France, and Italy and worked in the film Agüenta Firme, Isidoro. In the next year, she worked in the films Tudo Azul, Está Com Tudo, É Fogo Na Roupa; in 1954, in Carnaval em Caxias and O Petróleo É Nosso; in 1955, in Carnaval Em Marte; in 1956, in Tira A Mão Daí and Depois Eu Conto; in 1957, in Metido A Bacana; in 1958, in É De Chuá; and in 1959, in Mulheres À Vista. She toured Uruguay in 1957 and 1958 and Argentina in 1959. In 1959, she won the Noel Rosa trophy. Batista had great success in 1960 in the Carlos Machado show Varieties at the Night and Day nightclub. Like the other divas of the Golden Age of Brazilian Song, Linda Batista retired from the artistic scene in 1960, returning only occasionally to launch Carnival marchinhas. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi