'Revista do Radio' no.760 - 11 April 1964.
Selma Aranha Alves aka Selmita was born in São Luiz, Maranhão on 17 August 1945. Selmita was only 4 years old (in 1949) when her father died and as her mother had another daughter and son she had to give her away to some nuns who ran a Catholic boarding school in São Luiz. Apparently, the nuns were great music enthusiasts and taught their children how to perform all kinds of instruments so Selmita had a chance to develop her musical side.
Five years later, in 1954, as Selmita's mother, her brother and sister were ready to migrate to Rio de Janeiro, they went to the nuns', picked Selmita up and brought her along with them through the 2,000 miles south until they reached the Wonderful City.
After getting themselves settled with some relatives, Selmita started singing at 'Clube do Guri', a popular show presented by Collid Filho on Radio Tupi, which eventually went on to TV Tupi, where kids had a chance to showcase their talent.
Suddenly, out of the blue, in 1962, when Selmita was 17 years old, while singing at a friend's birthday party, she was approached by song-writer Moacyr Bastos who took her to Philips where she eventually recorded a 78 rpm single under the direction of Rossini Pinto: 'Eu vivo a cantar' (Rossini Pinto) b/w 'Oh!, meu amor' (Moacyr Bastos-Darcy Silva) and soon Selmita's career was in high gear.
It didn't take too long for Philips to record Selmita's first E.P. (extended-play aka compacto-duplo).
After getting themselves settled with some relatives, Selmita started singing at 'Clube do Guri', a popular show presented by Collid Filho on Radio Tupi, which eventually went on to TV Tupi, where kids had a chance to showcase their talent.
Suddenly, out of the blue, in 1962, when Selmita was 17 years old, while singing at a friend's birthday party, she was approached by song-writer Moacyr Bastos who took her to Philips where she eventually recorded a 78 rpm single under the direction of Rossini Pinto: 'Eu vivo a cantar' (Rossini Pinto) b/w 'Oh!, meu amor' (Moacyr Bastos-Darcy Silva) and soon Selmita's career was in high gear.
It didn't take too long for Philips to record Selmita's first E.P. (extended-play aka compacto-duplo).
'Se eu não passar de ano' (1965) a cover of 'Se mi bocciano agli esami' with Gianna Forretti
Selmita sings on TV circa 1966.
