By Sharon Whitley Larsen
As the world readies for Rio de Janeiro's summer Olympic Games from Aug. 5 to 21, hosted in this "cidade maravilhosa" (marvelous city), many Carmen Miranda fans will be drawn to the Queen of Samba's life story. Carmen resided in this stunning, energetic, gorgeous city of 6 million —- home to the massive landmark "Christ the Redeemer" statue — most of her young life. But although she was known as Brazil's best export and the Brazilian Bombshell, this was not her native country.
One of six children of a barber father and seamstress mother, Carmen was born on Feb. 9, 1909, in a small town in Portugal; the family relocated to Rio when she was a toddler.
Today she has a cult following — particularly each year at this city's splashy Carnival, where both women and men dress like her in outrageous costumes. Her real name was Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha. But she is best known worldwide as Carmen Miranda (her family nickname and her mother's maiden name).
Last year marked the 60th anniversary of Carmen's death in 1955, when some 1 million grief-stricken fans lined the funeral route to Rio's Sao Joao Batista Cemetery, where she is buried.
Carmen was the first South American resident to leave her handprints at Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre (on March 24, 1941, which she declared was "the happiest moment of my life"). And in 1945 the woman known for wearing colorful fruit-styled turbans — and once commenting in her famous accent, "Bananas is my business!" — was reportedly the highest-paid female entertainer in the United States, earning just over $200,000.
At one time the petite (5 feet 1 inch), flamboyant singer, dancer and movie star —with a dazzling smile and gorgeous, expressive green eyes ("She had the green and yellow of the Brazil flag in her eyes," composer Josue de Barros once commented) —dreamed of marrying and being a mother of five children — or of becoming a nun. Yet she did neither. Despite having several serious beaus, she didn't marry until age 38 and suddenly died childless at age 46.
The affectionate nickname bestowed on her by Brazilians —"Pequena Notavel" (remarkable little girl) — adorned a building sign when I strolled by 13 Travessa do Comercio, where Carmen lived with her family while a teen and young adult. On a tiny, narrow street in Rio's downtown business section, the family resided from 1925 to 1932 on the second floor of the modest building, which was a boarding house they ran. Later it became a restaurant.
Musically gifted, Carmen once told of practicing songs in front of the stubborn family goat — "and that's how I became a singer."
Educated by French nuns in an all-girls Roman Catholic school, she quit at age 15 to work in a hat shop, creatively making and modeling her creations for customers as she gaily sang. She also sold ties and decorated windows.
Invited to perform her favorite tango songs at a party by one of her high-society customers — and then at the National Institute of Music — by age 17 Carmen was singing sambas with her unique interpretation on local radio stations. Her first test recording — "Triste Jandaya" ("Sad Parakeet"), made when she was 19 — became a hit. The following year she recorded "Tai," which sold more than 35,000 copies. When she was offered a contract with RCA, her strict father had to sign for her since she wasn't yet 21.
Over the next decade she recorded nearly 300 tunes, mostly samba and Carnival marches, some tangos and rumbas. She appeared in five Brazilian movies, and by 1935, when she was 26, she was the highest-paid singer in Brazil, glamorizing the samba music popular in Rio's slums.
Soon Carmen adopted — and added her own touch to — the Baiana costume (worn by poor black women in Bahia), which consisted for her of a silk turban (to which she later added fruit and other items), golden earrings, bracelets, silver buckles and sandals, with strings of beads around her neck, colorful skirt and bare midriff. It was the movie "Banana da Terra" that changed her image and style, and the movie's song, "O Que e Que a Bahiana Tem?" ("What Does the Bahian Girl Have?") became her first U.S. record.
Carmen's worldwide fame was launched when she was discovered in Rio by Broadway producer Lee Shubert in February 1939. She arrived in New York City knowing only 100 English words, three months later to appear in "The Streets of Paris," insisting on bringing her band.
"She was a sensation in New York, a tremendous hit," later recalled Cesar Romero, one of her movie co-stars. She was amazed that the audiences loved her since they couldn't understand the Portuguese songs she was singing.
"She was vivacious; she had a magic, there was no one like her," remembered Alice Faye, another of her co-stars.
Carmen spent a successful year in the United States, then returned to Rio and to a cool reception when she performed at a society benefit. She was accused of being too "Americanized" (and, later, for unfairly portraying South America in her music and films). After another performance in Rio that was more successful — when she charmed the audience by singing, "Disseram Que Voltei Americanisada" ("They Say I Came Back Americanized"), Carmen headed back to the United States, where she remained for the next 14 years, buying a house at 616 N. Bedford Drive in Beverly Hills. She performed on radio, TV and in nightclubs and theatrical productions in the United States, Cuba and Europe.
She also appeared in 14 films, including "Down Argentine Way," "Weekend in Havana," "Springtime in the Rockies," "The Gang's All Here," "Copacabana" and "That Night in Rio." Some of her most famous songs were "The Tic-Tac of My Heart" (one of her favorites), "The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat," "Chica Chica Boom Chic," "(I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi), "I Like You Very Much," and "South American Way."
Throughout the years and following her marriage to co-producer David Sebastian in 1947 (which was not a happy one), Carmen suffered depression, exhaustion, over-medication and even endured electroshock therapy. After a 14-year absence, she returned to Rio in December 1954, staying at the prestigious Copacabana Palace Hotel until her strength and emotional outlook improved. Four months later she headed back to the United States.
She performed at the White House for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and has been parodied by Woody Allen, Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Carol Burnett, Mickey Rooney, Jerry Lewis, Lucille Ball and Willard Scott. It was during an appearance on "The Jimmy Durante Show" on Aug. 4, 1955, that Carmen, breathless, fell during a dance number. That evening she went to her Beverly Hills home and died early the next morning of a heart attack.
Once asked what would make her "100 percent happy," Carmen answered: "A bowl of good soup — and the freedom to sing!"
WHEN YOU GO
For more information on visiting Rio de Janeiro, visit the Rio Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.rcvb.com.br.
The Museum of Image and Sound is slated to open soon in Copacabana, with a third-floor exhibit honoring Carmen Miranda.
Some of my favorite Rio stops:
Bar Garota de Ipanema (Rua Vinicius de Moraes, 49), the popular restaurant-bar where, in 1962, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes were inspired to write "The Girl From Ipanema" about a local teenage beauty, Heloisa Pinheiro. (Or at least this is where they sat sipping Caipirinhas while they eyed her walking to and from the beach!) Fans of the popular song will enjoy the historic newspaper and photo display: www.bardegarotadeipanema.com.
Confeitaria Colombo (Rua Goncalves Dias, 32) is a classic, sophisticated upstairs coffeehouse built in 1894: www.confeitariacolombo.com.br/siteen
Gilson Martins (there are a few local locations; I'm a repeat customer at Rua Visconde de Piraja, 462, in Ipanema). Funky, fun, unique purses, including ones with the Brazilian flag, a great Olympics souvenir: www.gilsonmartins.com.br/historia/english.html
Photo courtesy of Sharon Whitley Larsen.
Sharon Whitley Larsen is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com
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