Aurora Miranda

Aurora Miranda
Aurora Miranda
	Miranda in The Three Caballeros
Born	Aurora Miranda da Cunha; 20 April 1915; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Died	22 December 2005 (aged 90); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Resting place	São João Batista Cemetery, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Occupation	Singer, dancer, actress
Years active	1933–1990
Spouse(s)	Gabriel Richaid (m. 1940⁠–⁠1990)
Relatives	Carmen Miranda (sister); Cecilia Miranda de Carvalho (sister);

Aurora Miranda da Cunha Richaid (20 April 1915 – 22 December 2005) was a Brazilian singer and actress. She began her career at the age of 18 in 1933. Miranda appeared in several films, including The Three Caballeros, where she danced with Donald Duck and José Carioca, singing the song, "Os Quindins de Yayá". Her sisters were Carmen Miranda and Cecilia Miranda.[1]

Career

Carmen Miranda (center) and Aurora in São Paulo (1934).

Aurora Miranda with Walt Disney (1943).

Aurora Miranda had a successful career in Brazil and the US, perhaps overshadowed by that of her sister, Carmen Miranda. Aurora was six years younger than her sister and equally talented and vivacious.

In 1932, aged 18, she was asked to perform on the Mayrink Veiga radio station by Josué de Barros, the same composer who had launched her sister's career 10 years earlier. Soon she was snapped up by a rival station and within 12 months she had released her first record, Cai, Cai, Balão ("Drop, Drop Balloon") alongside the crooner then considered Brazil's rei da voz or "king of the voice", Francisco Alves. Alves was known for supporting up-and-coming artists and there was none more promising than Aurora, who many still believe had a more beautiful voice than Carmen.

Years later, she appeared in the documentaries Once Upon a Mouse and Carmen Miranda: Bananas is My Business.

Miranda died at the age of 90 on 22 December 2005.[2][3]

Personal life

In 1940 she married Gabriel Richaid clad in a gold-embroidered wedding dress shipped from the US by Carmen.

Unlike her sister, Aurora preferred married life to her career. In 1951 she returned to Rio and settled down as wife and mother. She often spoke of her sister Carmen and appeared in many documentaries.

Legacy

Aurora Miranda carved out her own niche, first as a pioneering singer and later as one of the first human beings to interact with cartoons in a sound movie. She appeared in the Walt Disney production The Three Caballeros, a mix of cinema and animation in which Aurora starred alongside Donald Duck.

But perhaps her greatest legacy was the first recording of Rio de Janeiro's unofficial anthem, Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous City), in 1934.

Tom Philips wrote in The Guardian that Aurora Miranda "personified the spirit of Rio."

Filmography

Aurora with Carmen Miranda in Alô, Alô Carnaval (1936).

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1935	Alô, Alô, Brasil!		Performer: "Cidade Maravilhosa" and "Ladrãozinho"
1935	Estudantes	Herself	Performer: "Onde Está o Seu Carneirinho?" and "Linda Ninon"
1936	Hello, Hello, Carnival!		Performer: "Cantores do Rádio" and "Molha o Pano"
1939	Banana da Terra	Herself	Performer: "Menina do Regimento"
1944	Phantom Lady	Estela Monteiro
	The Conspirators	Fado Singer	Uncredited
	Brazil	Bailarina, Specialty Dancer
	The Three Caballeros	The Brazilian Girl	(as Aurora Miranda of Brazil)
1945	Tell It to a Star	Specialty Act
1954	Disneyland	Brazilian Girl	Voice, A Present for Donald (archive footage)
1978	Mulheres de Cinema	Herself	(archive footage) (Documentary short)
1981	Once Upon a Mouse	Herself
1989	Dias Melhores Virão	Herself	(final film role)
1995	Carmen Miranda: Bananas is my Business	Herself	Documentary
2009	Cantoras do Rádio - O Filme	Herself	(archive footage)

References

"Overview for Aurora Miranda". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
"Morreu a irmã de Carmen Miranda". Diário de Notícias. December 25, 2005. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
Daniele Barreira (December 24, 2005). "Morre, aos 90 anos, irmã de Carmem Miranda". Ofuxico. Retrieved March 20, 2014.

External links

Aurora Miranda at IMDb
Aurora Miranda at AllMovie
Aurora Miranda at the TCM Movie Database
Aurora Miranda at Find a Grave

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[1] "Overview for Aurora Miranda". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 20, 2014.

[2] "Morreu a irmã de Carmen Miranda". Diário de Notícias. December 25, 2005. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2014.

[3] Daniele Barreira (December 24, 2005). "Morre, aos 90 anos, irmã de Carmem Miranda". Ofuxico. Retrieved March 20, 2014.