Eliana Pittman: Brazilian Treasure

Last week I posted on Nara Leão, hipping you to one of Brazil's best kept vocal secrets. This week, I want to share with you Eliana Pittman, also a Brazilian treasure who today still tours moderately and acts on TV.

Pittman is a singing star who started recording in 1962, when she teamed with her stepfather, Booker Pittman, the grandson of Booker T. Washington and a clarinetist who moved to Brazil in 1937. Richly photogenic with a vocal ease and a dazzling smile, Eliana Pittman started singing bossa nova, but by the late 1960s and early '70s she shifted to the more rhythmic samba. With her supper-club looks, powerful voice and vast knowledge of songs, she toured globally in the 1970s and wound up on TV in France, the U.S. and many other countries.

Here are 10 clips that illustrate her beautiful style and compelling voice:

Here she is in 1962 with Booker Pittman...



Here's 10 minutes of Pittman in 1965...



Here's Pittman in Paris in 1967...



Here's Pittman in Cannes, France, with Sacha Distel in 1970...



Here's Pittman's recording of Antônio Carlos Jobim and Chico Buarque's Sabia...



Here's 37 minutes of Pittman in 1966 on the full album of É preciso cantar [You Need to Sing]...



Here's Pittman singing E Você Nem Viu from her album Estrela e lua nova in 1969...



Here's Pittman in her Brazilian soul period singing Nem Saudade from her Eliana Pittman album in 1972...



Here's Pittman in the 2000s performing Esse Mar é Meu by João Nogueira...



Here's Pittman performing Dorival Caymmi's O Samba da minha terra...



And here's Pittman with Trio Sinfonico performing Gamei...