Ângela Maria, artistic name of Abelim Maria da Cunha (Conceição de Macabu, May 13, 1928) is a Brazilian singer. She was elected "Queen of the Radio" in 1954 and was considered the most popular singer of that decade. Known as "Sapoti", she started singing in church choir. While working in a light bulb plant, she participated in programs put on for University students, using the name of Ângela Maria, so as not to be identified by her family. She won all the competitions, and went on to sing in the Dancing Avenida and, later, in the Radio Mayrink Veiga. Ângela Maria made her first recording in 1951. During the years following, she was acknowledged as one of the great interpreters of the "samba-canção", alongside Maysa Matarazzo, Nora Ney, and Dolores Duran. She was also the inspiration for some of the greatest names of the MPB, such as Elis Regina and Gal Costa. During her carer, Ângela Maria recorded dozens of successful hits, including "Não Tenho Você", "Babalu", "Cinderela", "Moça Bonita", "Vá, mas Volte", "Garota Solitária", "Falhaste Coração", "Canto Paraguaio", "A Noite e a Despedida", "Gente Humilde", and "Lábios de Mel". Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.