Helena Meirelles | en

There are multiple artists named Helena. 1) Helena (Helena Noguerra) is a Belgian-born successful actress, model and singer-songwriter. She sings and writes her own lyrics in French, English and Portuguese. She has worked as a radio DJ, covered Kylie Minogue's "I just can’t get you out of my head" in a very sensual version and published two novels. While still modelling, she met up with musicians, did some collaborations and also met Philippe Katerine who did most of the composing and producing of their two rather different projects. Azul (2003) is mostly bossa nova influenced with subtle electronic touches while...

Having started in music at eight, J. T. Meirelles studied composition and arranging at Berklee School of Music (Boston, Mass.). His professional debut was at 17 as João Donato's saxophonist. Next he moved to São Paulo, where he worked with Luís Loy. Returning to Rio in 1963 Meirelles formed the Copa 5, which debuted at the Bottle's Bar, at the Beco das Garrafas (Rio). In that same year he wrote the arrangement for the original recording of "Mas Que Nada," Jorge BenJor's first hit. From 1964 to 1975 he worked as an instrumentalist, conductor, arranger and producer at Odeon. In...

Helena was born in a farm in Mato Grosso do Sul (Central West) and grew up surrounded by cowboys and guitarists. She was fascinated by the viola caipira (small acoustic guitar tytpical of the Brazilian countryside), but her family wouldn’t allow her to play, which she ended up doing anyway, undercover. She slowly became famous among the cowboys. She married upon her parents’ imposition at 17, then she abandoned her husband and started living with a man from Paraguay who played the guitar and the violin. She split aonce again and resolved to spend her life as a musician, leaving...