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All Music Guide:
Virginia Rodrigues was an aspiring actress and singer when she caught the ear of Brazilian singer/songwriter Caetano Veloso. Veloso was so impressed by Rodrigues' sensuous vocals that he helped her to get a recording contract with the Hannibal label and produced her debut album Sol Negro. In a 1998 interview, Veloso recalled his reaction to Rodrigues' singing, "To hear this song in the celestial voice that came out of the plump body of a robust black woman moved me greatly. Her voice transcends the distinction between erudite and popular. I was deeply impressed with her unique timbre and her profound sensibility." Veloso was not alone in his praise. The New York Times called Rodrigues the "new voice in Brazilian music," while Joe Boyd, owner of Hannibal, said, "Virginia is fascinating because she's almost like post-modern samba, like a return to the roots."
Rodrigues' success contrasts with the poverty she experienced as a child. Her mother sold fruits and vegetables and her father sold ice cream in a local street market. Although her parents were unable to afford a phonograph player, she was introduced to music by her grandfather, who played accordion. As a member of a Catholic church choir, she sang Bach and baroque music and learned to read music. She taught herself basic piano in order to accompany herself when she practiced. On her debut album, Sol Negro, Rodrigues balanced a cappella tunes with songs that she recorded with the accompaniment of harp, contrabass or berimbau, and percussion. Guests on the album included Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, and Djavan. Rodrigues has maintained her connection with theater. She had a major role in the film Jenipapo and also appeared in Tieta Do Agreste and Diario De Un Convento.
Wikipedia:
Virginia Rodrigues (born Salvador, December 31, 1964) is a Brazilian singer.
Biography
Virginia Rodrigues started her career by singing in both Catholic and Protestant church choirs. In 1997, she was invited by the director Márcio Meirelles to attend Pelô Bye Bye. There she was discovered by Caetano Veloso.
The first album Sol Negro was produced by Celso Fonseca and had arrangements by Eduardo Souto Neto. It was released on the Rykodisc label and was well received in the United States and Europe. The Times of London described Rodrigues as "... The new diva of Brazilian music". The album also received good reviews in Le Monde and the magazine Rolling Stone.
Rodrigues second album, Nós, features songs of Ile Aiye, Olodum, Timbaland, Ara Ketu and Afreketê and was also well received with reviews in The New York Times and All Music Guide.
Her third album, Mares Profundos, was released in January 2004 on German label Deutsche Grammophon and features 11 african-sambas composed between 1962 and 1966 by guitarist Baden Powell (1937-2000) and the poet Vinicius de Moraes (1913-1980). The program closes with samba 'Lapinha' (Baden-Paulo Cesar Pinheiro).
Her fourth album, Recomeço, was released in 2008 and features poetry by Chico Buarque.
Rodrigues regularly appears at festivals of jazz and world music throughout the world, participating in several world tours. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton once said that she was the singer who he liked best in the world and mentioned her in his memoir "My Life."
