Martha Vieira Figueiredo Cunha, known professionally as Martinha, was born on June 30, 1949, in Belo Horizonte and rose to fame in Brazil's Jovem Guarda movement during the late 1960s. Her debut single “Eu te amo mesmo assim” was released in 1967, followed by her breakthrough hit “Eu daria a minha vida” in 1968, which became one of her most enduring songs and was later recorded by Roberto Carlos and other Latin American artists. Throughout the 1970s, she expanded her career internationally with albums such as Presentando a Martinha (1970), Otra Vez (1971), and Eu Quero a América do Sul (1978), incorporating Spanish-language recordings and performances across the Americas. The 1980s brought further success with releases like Como É Que Vai Ficar? (1981), which featured the tracks “Eu quero” and “Minha casa,” and Martinha (1986). As a songwriter, Martinha penned several songs recorded by Chitãozinho & Xororó, including “Vem provar de mim” (1985) and “Queixas” (1986). In 1995, she revisited her catalog on a Jovem Guarda compilation and continued to record sporadically in the 2000s, including "Coimbra" and "Jogo de damas" on the Roberto Carlos tribute album Tributo ao Rei. Her live appearance on the DVD Emoções Sertanejas (2010), where she performed “Alô” alongside Roberto Carlos, marked a celebrated return to the stage.
