Aurora Miranda

Aurora Miranda had a successful career in Brazil and the US, although somewhat overshadowed by her sister Carmen Miranda's larger-then-life persona. Aurora was six years younger than Carmen, not as brilliant but equally talented and vivacious. She made her recording debut on May 25, 1933, at the age of 18. On that day she sang Assis Valente''s marcha "Cai, Cai, Balão!" and 'Floriano Ribeiro de Pi'nho''s samba "Toque de Amor" in a duo with Francisco Alves, Brazil's greatest male singing star. Three weeks later she was in the studio again, recording a macumba by Pixinguinha and João da Baiana. Another duo with Chico Alves came in July: Noel Rosa's and Hélio Rosa's foxtrot "Você só . . . Mente." Aurora was launched. Her record company was Odeon, and her principal competition--her sister Carmen--recorded for Victor. During the rest of the decade, Aurora recorded 162 more sides, many of them enormous hits, such as "Cidade Maravilhosa" (André Filho) and "Se a Lua Contasse" (Custódio Mesquita), whose composers were her constant songwriters, along with Walfrido Silva and Assis Valente. In 1936 Aurora appeared in the film Alô Alô Carnaval (1936), in which she was seen with Carmen dressed in gold-lamé top hat and tails, singing "Cantores do Rádio" (João de Barro / Alberto Ribeiro / Lamartine Babo). This film is apparently lost except from some short sequences. In 1940 Aurora married Gabriel Richaid. Carmen gave the couple a trip to the US as a honeymoon present, and before long Aurora was appearing in American nightclubs and revues. During the war, when Walt Disney was producing his "Good Neighbor" south-of-the-border films, he wanted to cast Carmen with Ethel Smith in a picture to be called "Blame It on the Samba". Carmen was unavailable, and the technology wasn't advanced enough for making that film (it would eventually be made in 1948 (Blame It on the Samba (1948)) with Ethel as the only live character. However, Carmen recommended her sister, and Aurora was cast in The Three Caballeros (1944), in which she shined in the Bahia sequence, dancing with Donald Duck and Zé Carioca to the tune of Ary Barroso's "Os Quindins de Iaiá.". She also appears in the film noir classic Phantom Lady (1944), in which she can be seen as a nightclub performer. Unlike her sister, Aurora preferred married life to her career. In 1951 she returned to Rio de Janeiro and settled down as a wife and mother. She often spoke of her sister Carmen and appeared in many documentaries. Aurora Miranda passed away at the age of 90 on Thursday, December 22, 2005.