Gretchen (singer)
| Gretchen | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Maria Odete Brito de Miranda |
| Born |
May 29, 1959 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Genres | Disco, pop |
| Years active | 1978 – present |
| Website | www |
Maria Odete Brito de Miranda, known as Gretchen; born May 29, 1959 in Rio de Janeiro) is a Brazilian singer, reality television personality, actress, and businesswoman. She achieved popularity with the movie Aleluia, Gretchen, which tells the story of a German Brazilian immigrant family. Gretchen is known for reinventing both her music and representation, and for maintaining her autonomy within the music industry. She has a vast musical repertory, and has been a source of some controversy throughout her career. Referred to as the Rainha do Bumbum ("Queen of Butt"), Gretchen is often cited as an influence by other artists.
After doing backing vocals for years, Gretchen appeared on a TV show in 1978 and soon recorded her debut single, "Dance With Me",disco song inspired in Charo's Dance a Little Bit Closer. In 1980, 1981 and 1982, she released her three most successful albums: My Name Is Gretchen, You and Me, and Lonely. These three albums featured songs that became hallmarks in her career, such as "Freak Le Boom Boom", "Melô do Piripipi", "Conga Conga Conga". She sold more than 15 million records worldwide. Between 1980 and 1982, she grabbed the media's attention by making "sexy" music, while still enjoying popularity among children. After Lonely in 1982, she went on a downward spiral while trying to remain on the charts. Born as a Roman Catholic, Gretchen embraced the Protestant faith in the 1990s, and began singing Gospel music.
By the end of the 1990s, her hits had returned to dance floors. With the emergence of Butt Music stars like Carla Perez, Gretchen was eventually recognized as a forerunner of the hip shakers. The compilation 20 Super Sucessos came out in 1998 on Copacabana/EMI.
Gretchen signed a contract to star in a porn movie for Brazilian porn producers Brasileirinhas in 2006, following the example of Rita Cadillac, with whom she appeared in the 1982 pornochanchada Aluga-se Moças. The movie, La Conga Sex, was released by November, followed by another porn title, Carnaval 2007, released in February 2007.
In 2008, she became candidate of Socialist People's Party to be mayor of the city of Itamaracá.
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Wikipedia