Brazilian singer and composer, Dona Ivone Lara, Died at 97

Yvonne Lara da Costa was born on April 13, 1921, in Rio de Janeiro and died on April 16, 2018.

She was better known as Dona Ivone Lara.

She was a Brazilian singer and composer.

Dona Ivone Lara graduated in nursing, with specialization in Occupational Therapy, and worked as a social worker until she retired in 1977.

With this professional background, she worked in psychiatric hospitals, where she knew Dr. Nise da Silveira.

After her mother died, she was only 3 years old, and of her father when she was twelve, Dona Ivone was raised by aunts and uncles and with them she learned to play the cavaquinho.

Dona Ivone Lara was exposed to samba music at the side of her cousin Mestre Fuleiro; she took singing lessons from Lucília Villa-Lobos and was praised by Dona Lucília’s husband, the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.

Lara married Oscar Costa when she was 21, son of Alfredo Costa, the president of the Prazer da Serrinha samba school.

While she was at Prazer da Serrinha Dona met several composers who later became her partners in several compositions, among them Mano Décio da Viola e Silas de Oliveira.

She retired from nursing in 1977, she began to dedicate herself to her musical career. She continues to record and to perform before live audiences today.

Also to the interpreters of her songs are such singers and artists as Clara Nunes, Roberto Ribeiro, Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Paula Toller, Paulinho da Viola, Beth Carvalho, Mariene de Castro e Roberta Sá.

She died at 97 years old.