Referred to as the Janis Jopin of Brazil, with a similar throaty, gritty voice, Silvinha (Sílvia Peixoto Maria) started to sing in 1963, appearing on the radio and in cultural programs with traditional music. Later, she expanded her repertoire to include the music of the Beatles and Rita Pavone. In 1967, Silvinha recorded for the first time. She continued working for TV and released several LP's, and also became one of the most successful session singers in Brazil. Silvinha died in 2008, after a 12-year fight against breast cancer. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.