The senseless death of Clara Nunes in 1983 during very simple surgery is one of the saddest losses in the music world of Brasil. For just over a decade Clara Nunes recorded some of the most touching and lovely Afro-Bahian and samba tunes commited to record. In concert her stunning beauty echoed the power of her voice.

In the 1970's and early 1980's her ever-dancable recordings were among the best-selling by any woman in Brasil up to that time, and in fact she was the best-selling sambista overall in that period. She was also one of the first in the post-bossa nova generation to tour Europe and Japan. No little credit she be given to her for reviving an interest in samba little seen since World War II. In short, a little or, preferably, alot of Clara belongs on every samba CD shelf.