<Tr> <Th> Labels </Th> <Td> RCA, Brunswick Records, EMI - Odeon, Decca Records, Polygram </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Signature </Th> </Tr> <P> Carmen Miranda GCIH, OMC Portuguese pronunciation: (ˈkaɾmẽȷ̃ miˈɾɐ̃dɐ), born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (February 9, 1909--August 5, 1955), was a Portuguese samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress, and film star who was popular from the 1930s to the 1950s . Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", Miranda is noted for her signature fruit hat outfit she wore in her American films . As a young woman, she designed hats in a boutique before recording her first album with composer Josué de Barros in 1929 . Miranda's 1930 recording of "Taí" ("Pra Você Gostar de Mim"), written by Joubert de Carvalho, catapulted her to stardom in Brazil as the foremost interpreter of samba . </P> <P> During the 1930s Miranda performed on Brazilian radio and appeared in five Brazilian chanchadas, films celebrating Brazilian music, dance, and the country's carnival culture . Hello, Hello Brazil! and Hello, Hello, Carnival! embodied the spirit of these early Miranda films . The 1939 musical Banana da Terra (directed by Ruy Costa) gave the world her "Baiana" image, inspired by poor African - Brazilians from the northeastern state of Bahia . </P>

Thirties brazilian actress known for her fruit-laden headgear