Lia de Itamaracá

Marko Kafé, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brazilian Singer and Cirandeira (folk dance leader) · Born 1944 · Northeastern Brazilian Folk Music

Fast Facts

• Born Maria Madalena Correia do Nascimento on January 12, 1944 
• She is a Cirandeira from the Brazilian island of Itamaracá
  • Ciranda is a folk dance from Itamaracá known for circular motion; a cirandeira is a leader
• She is one of 22 siblings, the only one to pursue music
• Before becoming famous, she worked as a lunch lady in schools
• In June 2023 she received the Brazilian Music Professionals Award for her cultural contributions.

“At Ciranda, the poor dance, the rich dance, the cripple dances, everyone dances… it’s a very good tempo, very slow and beautiful.” – Lia de Itamaracá