Nubia Lafayette (1937-2007) started her career in the early 1950s as an amateur performer on regional radio programs, took up the torch passed on by classic "radio singer" balladeers such as Vincente Celestino and Dalva De Oliveira, and kept the old-style samba-cancao tradition alive well into the 1970s. Originally from the town of Assu, Rio Grande do Norte, Nubia established herself as a performer in Rio de Janeiro, singing in nightclubs and on TV during the 1950s, and adopting the name Nubia Lafayette for her recordings in the early 1960s
Nubia Lafayette "20 Super Sucessos" (Sony/Polydisc, 1998)
A cheapo reissue collection that's a fine introduction to this latter-day velha guarda romantic singer. I'm not sure when these specific tracks were recorded; it could have been anywhere in her career from 1960-on, but I suspect from the production values that it's mostly from the late '60s. The style is very slushy and antiquated (more like the pop vocals/samba-cancao crossovers of the 1950s than the classic 1930s/40s sound, and very heavily influenced by Spanish-language boleros)... Still, I liked it a lot, much more than I thought I would. It's corny and over-the-top, but it works for me.
Nubia Lafayette "20 Super Sucessos, v.2" (Sony/Polydisc, 1999)
Nubia Lafayette "20 Super Sucessos, v.3" (Sony/Polydisc, 2002)
Nubia Lafayette "Maxximum" (Sony-BMG, 2006)
Nubia Lafayette "Solidao" (RCA Camden, 1961) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Devolvi" (RCA Camden, 1961) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Devocao" (RCA Camden, 1962) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Eu, Nubia Lafayette" (RCA Camden, 1963) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Triste Madrugada" (RCA Victor, 1964) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Nem Eu, Nem Tu, Ninguem" (Philips, 1970) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Casa E Comida" (1972) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Nubia Lafayette" (CBS Records, 1974) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Abandono Cruel" (CBS Records, 1975) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Nubia Lafayette" (CBS Records, 1976) (LP)
Nubia Lafayette "Migalhas" (CBS Records, 1977) (LP)
