An International Hero

I’m writing to suggest a local hero who, in my opinion, deserves to be honoured. My hero is a famous singer in Brazil who has won academy awards, like the Latin Grammy and was also elected by the BBC Radio, in London, as the Brazilian singer of the millennium in 1999. She’s also known as the Brazilian Tina Turner.

My Choice

Elza lived in a Rio de Janeiro's Favela called Padre Miguel, a poor neighbourhood. When she was 12, she was forced to marry a man and a year later she gave birth to her first child. Turning 13, she started singing and won a radio contest, but she was not taken seriously and was asked "What planet are you from?". She stood up against the prejudice and answered "From the same planet as you, sir. The Planet Hunger”. After her husband died, she got involved with a famous football player called Garrincha, who committed domestic violence and psychological terror against her, but he never got arrested and died a national hero. She started singing songs about her life. Being a role model for young girls and also for the adults, she never loses her style. She has released meaningful songs like "A Carne" ("The flesh"), in which she sings about the structural racism in Brazil, and "A Mulher Do Fim Do Mundo" ("The Woman Of The End Of The World") in which she talks about the power of women and those are my favourites. It is said that if she had been born in the USA, she would have as much recognition as Beyoncé.

Reasons for my choice

The reason for my choice is that, Elza’s an activist of the Black Lives Matter and the Woman's Rights in Brazil and her life story shows some examples of how racism and sexism affects people's lives.

Honouring my hero

If my choice is accepted, I suggest that the council set up a fund which could be used to fund an annual prize for someone who helps women in Brazil like she does through her music and this would be known as the Elza Soares Award. I hope you will consider Elza Soares a suitable nominee who deserves to be honoured.