Dolores Duran

b.: June 7, 1930 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
d.: October 24, 1959 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Brazilian singer and songwriter, Adiléia Silva da Rocha debuted at age 12 on the radio, winning the first prize at the show "Calouros em Desfile", of Ary Barroso. By the late 40's she had already acquired her stage name - Dolores Duran - and became a regular on radio shows and on nightclubs at the bohemian neighbourhood of Lapa, in Rio de Janeiro. Without any formal studies of music she became one of the first female composers in Brazilian popular music. Also self-taught in foreign languages, Dolores would record in Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Spanish, English and even Esperanto!

In 1952, Dolores had her first recordings in a Carnaval compilation. In the next years she would record songs like "Outono" (Billy Blanco), "Canção da volta" (Antônio Maria e Ismael Neto), "Praça Mauá" (Billy Blanco) e "Carioca" (Antônio Maria e Ismael Neto), that were released in 78'' singles. Her debut album, "Dolores Viaja, came out in 1955.
Her first composition, "Se é por falta de adeus", was written with Antônio Carlos Jobim and recorded by Dóris Monteiro. She wrote two other "samba-canção" classics with Jobim, "Por Causa de Você" and "Estrada de Sol". Dolores wrote also: "Fim de Caso", "Solidão", "Castigo", as well as "Pela Rua", "Ternura Antiga" and "Ideias Erradas", written with Ribamar.

Dolores toured the former Soviet Union in 1958 with other Brazilian performers, and later spent some time in Paris on her way back to South America. She recorded her greatest hit, "A Noite do Meu Bem" a few days before she died. Duran died of a heart attack at age 29. She always had a weak heart and had already had a milder heart attack a few years before.
After her premature death, Dolores' fame increased, and singers like Lúcio Alves and Nana Caymmi dedicated full albums to her music.