Simone wins award for musical excellence at the 2023 Latin Grammys

Bahian Simone Bittencourt, known as Simone, is a Brazilian singer and former basketball player, with a 50-year career, and was among the nine artists honored with the “Musical Excellence” award at the 2023 Latin Grammy edition, this past Saturday (11).

The event ceremony, which will be held on Thursday (16), brings forward the award ceremony, which chooses the musicians' entire body of work. The objective of the award is to honor artists who have made major contributions to the Latin music industry. In addition to Simone, names such as Carmen Linares, Mijares, Arturo Sandoval, Soda Stereo, Ana Torroja, Alex Acuña, Gustavo Santaolalla and Wison Towers were mentioned.

“We congratulate Simone, whose career full of successes makes the singer an icon of Brazilian popular music, and her sound a celebration of life and romance to the rhythms of samba.“, congratulated the Grammy in a publication. The artist's achievement was celebrated with the emotional testimony of important names in Brazilian music such as Milton Nascimento, Ivan Lins, Martinho da Vila and Zélia Duncan.

Simone and her milestones

Born in Salvador, Bahia, on Christmas Eve, Simone is the seventh of nine children of amateur opera singer Otto Gentil de Oliveira and Letícia Bittencourt de Oliveira. The singer began her career as a basketball player and physical education teacher, playing for clubs in cities in São Paulo.

But it was after giving up sports that Simone embarked on an artistic career, with much support and encouragement from her family and friends. March 20, 1973, marked the beginning of her career in the music industry. She traveled to several countries and had her voice featured on several soap opera soundtracks, and “Simone ao Vivo” was born, the singer’s first live album.

The artist's background is full of hits that have enchanted the audience that follows her, songs like “Yolanda”, “I am coming back”, “The tomorrow”, “A new woman”, “Starting over”, “Secret Oath” It is “Under Measure”are part of Simone's story.

50 years of a beautiful journey

Simone's story is inspiring. She began a career that she soon realized was not for her, finding herself in the artistic world. The singer makes hearts beat with the sound of her beautiful voice. To enjoy the pre-Christmas spirit, check out the artist's performance of “Isso é Natal”.

_{Watch singer Simone singing “So it's Christmas” (Video: reproduction/YouTube/Simone)}

There were 50 years of stories in each lyric of her songs, contributions that made Simone an award winner in the new edition of the Latin Grammy, a milestone for the country's music industry, and for the singer's career.

Featured photo: Simone in pictures with the Musical Excellence award at the 24th edition of the Latin Grammy (Reproduction/Folha UOL)