Valéria Barcellos

Valéria Barcellos came up in Rio de Janeiro, where she soaked up the local sounds of samba, bossa nova, and rock. Early on, she was drawn to the work of Elis Regina, Gilberto Gil, and Raul Seixas. In the early 1980s, she teamed up with poet Luiz Melodia to write 'Transradioativa,' a ballad that took aim at consumerism and political repression under Brazil's military regime. The song's stark lyrics and moody melody caught on, though it also stirred up some trouble with conservative listeners who found her too outspoken.

Her first album came out in 1983, followed by records like 'Cão Sem Plumas' in 1985 and 'Estrela Dalva' in 1992. She worked with Caetano Veloso and Ney Matogrosso along the way, but 'Transradioativa' stayed the track most people knew her by. The pushback she got never really softened her approach; she kept writing the way she wanted to, even when it meant brushing up against accusations of being unpatriotic or provocative.