Singer Margarida Amaral died

Singer Margarida Amaral, the first artist to sing on RTP broadcasts, died this Saturday at the age of 95 at the Casa do Artista in Lisbon, a source close to the family told Lusa.

Margarida Amaral’s career spanned over 50 years: she was the first artist to sing on RTP’s experimental broadcasts at Feira Popular in Lisbon in 1956.

The invitation to work for RTP came from journalist Raul Feio, who worked at the then Emissora Nacional and was the first presenter on public television.

The singer, born on March 10, 1928 in Lisbon, began her creative career in the programs of José Oliveira Cosme on the Clube Português radio.

Margarida Amaral later reported for trials at Emissora Nacional, where she remained until its closure in December 1975 to make way for Radiodifusao Portuguesa (RDP).

Margarida Amaral was evaluated by a jury consisting of maestro Belo Marques and Tavares Belo, composer Nobrega and Sousa and the head of the music service of radio broadcasting Pedro do Prado.

Then the aspiring singer became a member of the women’s choir of the radio broadcast, and then the women’s quartet of the radio station. He continued his broadcasting career as the lead singer of Orquestra Típica Portuguesa. It was in a live show from Pombal that the Typica Orchestra led by maestro Belo Márquez in July 1949 premiered one of his biggest hits, “Alô”.

Another of his successes was “Viva o Sporting” (Arthur Ribeiro/Jaime Filipe), which celebrated Sporting’s 1964 Cup Winners’ Cup victory over MTK in Budapest thanks to the “Morais corner” when it became João Paulo da’s famous goal Encarnasan Morais.

Margarida Amaral’s repertoire includes such hits as “Dorme Meu Menino” (Manuel Azambuja/Nobrega and Souza), “Santo Antoninho das Neves” (Antonio Vitor/Eduardo Loureiro), “Evolution” (Alberto Pais Salvasao), “Julgo Que Sei , Mas”. Não Sei” (Belo Marques/Casimiro Silva), “Mentiras de Amor” (Joao Nobre), “Malmequeres” (Manuel Paulino Junior/Tavares Belo), “Rosas de Toucar” (José Oliveira Cosme) and tribute songs to the local people , refer to “Caldas da Rainha” (Moreira da Camara / Nobrega y Sousa), S. Pedro de Moel” (Ferreira da Silva / Eduardo Loureiro), “Sesimbra” (António da Cruz / Eduardo Jorge Vizinho) and “Estoril” ( Jose). Ludovice/Fernando d’Eza Leal), later recorded by Lina Maria Alves and Paula Ribas.

The singer successfully recreated the song “Camélias” (Alberto Barbosa, Luis Galhardo da Silva and Xavier de Magalhães/Raoul Ferran), the creation of Corina Freire, who performed in the TV program “Melodias de Semper”, of which she was a participant. cast at the invitation of producer Melo Pereira.

In an interview with RTP, the singer spoke about the “difficult conditions” in which she worked, traveling “the country from Minho to the Algarve”, and despite invitations to perform in the then overseas provinces of Portugal, she never accepted. The fact that her son was arrested exonerated her.

With the song “Vai-se a Noite num Ai” (Mariana Filomena/Germany Correia) he took 2nd place in the marching competition in Lisbon.

“Nas Voltinhas do Marão” (António Pedro), “Andam Cantigas no Ar” (Anibal Nazaré/Fernando de Carvalho) were his other hits, as well as “O Que Tem os Teus Olhos”; “Expression”, “Vira do Juan”; “Sol Português” and “Festa dos Aventais”.

The singer’s funeral will take place today at the Church of Christ the King in Portela, in the municipality of Loures, on the outskirts of Lisbon.