Lourdinha Bittencourt

As a movie star

Abandoned in the orphanage Asilo Melo Matos at birth,^[2] Lourdinha Bittencourt was adopted by piano teacher Maria Bittencourt. Since her childhood she showed interest in music and dance.^[3] Stimulated by her mother she began taking courses to develop her artistic skills, a process which soon led her to work at Cassino da Urca as child prodigy.^[4] In 1935, she appeared in the cast of the movie Noites Cariocas, and in several other films the following years.^[2] Lourdinha Bittencourt took part in mmany films such as Maria Bonita and Cidade Mulher, both from 1936. She also appeared in É Proibido Sonhar (1943), Moleque Tião (1943),^[5] Asas do Brasil (1947), Obrigada Doutor, and Poeira de Estrelas (1948), O Homem Que Passa and Não Me Digas Adeus (1949).

As singer

In 1949, she recorded her first solo album for the label Star, with the songs Não Vale Recordar by Mário Rossi and José Conde, and Lenço Branco by Oscar Bellandi. Three years later she married Antonio Gonçalves Sobral, popularly known as Nelson Gonçalves, with whom she had two children.^[2] That same year she joined the third formation of the musical band Trio de Ouro,^[2] replacing singer Naomi Cavalcanti, alongside Herivelto Martins and Raul Sampaio. Among her first recordings as member of the band was a re-recording of Ave Maria no Morro, one of the great hits of the band at the beginning of the 1940s, sung by Dalva de Oliveira.^[6] The band was commissioned by Radio Nacional, remaining in the company until 1954. She then traveled throughout several Brazilian states, besides going to Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Peru. Despite the success of the band at that time, she was the female figure who never equaled Dalva de Olivera, nonetheless they achieved some success with her vocals on India by J. A. Flores and M. Guerrero, Negro telefone by Herivelto Martins and David Nasser, Saudades de Mangueira by Nelson Trigueiro and Bartholomew Silva, and Luzes da Ribalta by Charles Chaplin.

In 1957, Lourdinha Bittencourt faced health problems that prompted her departure from the band.^[2] In 1959, her marriage broke apart and she then divorced Nelson Gonçalves.^[7] In 1960, she released an album with the song Ouvi Dizer by Adelino Moreira, and Como No Primeiro Dia (Comme Au Premier Jour) by Hubert Giraud and Pierre Dorsey through the label Polydor. The following year she released though RCA Victor a 78-RPM album with another song by Adelino Moreira entitled Ouvi Dizer and Eu Te Amo, also by Adelino Moreira with participation of Nelson Gonçalves.^[7]

As actress on television

From 1969, she worked as an actress of telenovelas, debuting in the role of Martha in Rosa Rebelde.^[7] In 1970, she appeared in the cast of the soap opera Irmãos Coragem,^[2] one of the greatest soap operas of Brazilian television produced by Rede Globo. Four years later she starred in Fogo Sobre Terra,^[2] her last appearance on television. That same year, she took part in the album Encontro com Adelino Moreira na Churrascaria Cinderela, where she sand the songs Ouvi dizer and Eu te amo.