Gretchen

Relying in her dizzying curves and hot dancing style, the Carioca vocalist Gretchen (sister of Sula Miranda's, with whom she kept in their teens the short-lived group As Melindrosas) was launched in the late 70's by Mister Sam, soon performing around Brazil with the group Záccaro. After her TV debut at the Sílvio Santos show, she was invited to record "Dance With Me", but big hits ("Freak Le Boom Boom", "Melô do Piripiri", "Conga Conga Conga" "I Love You/Je T'Aime") came only between 1980-2 with My Name Is Gretchen, You and Me and Lonely. In that period she became a popularity phenomenon, having being one of the most successful Brazilian artists, performing shows by the thousands and appearing regularly in the most famous TV programmes like the ones hosted by Chacrinha, Sílvio Santos, Raul Gil and Bolinha. With the decline of her vogue in the 80's, despite her efforts in the exploration of new fashionable rhythms like the lambada, she converted to Protestantism and became a gospel singer. In the 90's her hits became cults in the Brazilian elegant dance floors, and, with the success of similarly shaped and styled singers/dancers like Carla Perez and others revealed by É o Tchan and its epigones, Gretchen was finally acknowledged as the pioneer of a style.