Sylvia Telles

Sylvia Telles, born Silvia D'Atri Telles on August 27, 1934, in São Paulo, was a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer. Daughter of Paulo Telles and Maria Amelia D'Atri, she initially aspired to be a ballerina, studying at the Teatro Municipal's ballet company in Rio de Janeiro. However, her singing talent was discovered by family friend Billy Blanco in 1954, launching her career in nightclubs. In 1955, Telles signed with Odeon Records, releasing the hit "Amendoim Torradinho," which earned her the title of Revelation of the Year by O Globo. That year, she married musician and attorney José Cândido de Mello Mattos and hosted the TV show Música e Romance on TV Rio, featuring prominent musicians like Tom Jobim and Dolores Duran. Carícia, her studio debut, came out in 1957 and was followed by other successful LPs such as Silvia (1958) and Amor de Gente Moça: Musicas de Antonio Carlos Jobim (1959). The following year, Sylvia Telles performed in a show called Carlos Lyra, Sylvia Telles e os seus Bossa nova, marking one of the first uses of the term "bossa nova." She collaborated with influential composers like Antonio Carlos Jobim, who wrote the song "Dindi" for her. Sylvia Telles made her first trip to the United States in the early 1960s, recording "U.S.A." with Barney Kessel. She toured Europe and continued to record successful albums, including several tributes to Tom Jobim. In 1966, she recorded the LP The Music of Mr. Jobim and was planning to work on an LP for Kapp Records in New York. Tragically, on December 17, 1966, Sylvia Telles died in a car accident at the age of 32 while traveling to a weekend getaway with her boyfriend Horacinho de Carvalho.

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