Martha Mendonça 1962 - 1963

'Revista do Radio' 1st September 1962, with Martha Mendonça on its cover.

'Revista do Radio' asks 50 (mostly silly) questions and finds out Martha Mendonça had a dream to work with Pat Boone... 

Martha Mendonça at Avenida Atlantica, Copacabana Beach in August 1962... 

I was 12 years old in 1961, when I fell in love with 'Tu sabes', a song sung by a new singer called Martha Mendonça, that played on the radio constantly until it became the Number One single in the Nation.

With only one song, 'Tu sabes', Martha Mendonça got to be a well-known face around the country and soon recorded a whole album for Chantecler. 

One could not say Martha Mendonça was a 'one-hit-wonder' because she recorded myriad of singles & albums for Chantecler, Odeon & other labels, but she never managed to come up with another huge hit as 'Tu sabes'.

revista Intervalo 18 August 1963. 

1st October 1961 - 78 rpm released by Chantecler, 'Tu sabes', a bolero written by Joaquim Taborda, with an exquisite arrangement by Elcio Alvarez in which a long meandering introduction prepared the listener for the soft voice of Martha Mendonça.   

12 November 1961 - 'Tu sabes' with Martha Mendonça ended up being the best selling record of 1961. 

Irenice Mendonça Ferreira, Martha Mendonça's real name was born on 16 February 1940, in Uberaba-MG, being very musical maybe due to her father being a professional guitar player. 

When Martha was 15 years old she started singing at Uberaba's PRE-5 radio station soon moving on to Radio Difusora Triangulina.in the same town.

In 1956, along with her family, Martha moved to São Paulo in search of better opportunities. She started singing at 'Galera do Nelson', on Radio Nacional Paulista being introduced to night-life work at Bar Dindin, at Rua Augusta, owned by Dora Lopes, where she was spotted by Wilson Miranda who took her to record-label Chantecler which was riding on top of the waves with more Number Ones in 1961 than anybody else.

Before 1961 was out, Martha Mendonça had taken 'Tu sabes' to Number One, adding up value to herself and Chantecler. 

EDITH VEIGA 

'Revista do Radio', 30 September 1961.