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Nara Lofego Leão (January 19, 1942 – June 7, 1989) was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB (popular Brazilian music) singer and occasional actress, often referred to as "the muse of bossa nova." Born in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, she was the daughter of a father who encouraged her musical talents by gifting her a guitar at the age of twelve. Nara received lessons from popular musician and composer Patricio Teixeira and classical guitarist Solon Ayala. In her teenage years, she became acquainted with influential figures in the bossa nova movement, including Roberto Menescal, Carlos Lyra, Ronaldo Bôscoli, João Gilberto, Vinicius de Moraes, and Antônio Carlos Jobim. By 1963, after several years of amateur singing, Nara became a professional artist and toured with Sérgio Mendes. However, the military dictatorship in Brazil during the mid-1960s shifted her focus towards political music, as reflected in her show Opinião. She became critical of bossa nova, labeling it "alienating" in 1964. In 1968, Nara contributed to the album Tropicália: ou Panis et Circenses, performing the track "Lindonéia." She later moved to Paris and, in the 1970s, stepped away from music to prioritize her family. Nara returned to her musical career after discovering, in 197
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