Alcione has won 19 gold records and two platinum records, having toured through the former U.S.S.R., Cabo Verde, Puerto Rico, Iran, U.S., Japan, Portugal, Mexico, Switzerland, Argentina, and Chile. Among her hits, are "Não Deixe o Samba Morrer" (Edson/Aluísio), "Gostoso Veneno" (Wilson Moreira/Nei Lopes), "Sufoco" (Chico da Silva/Venâncio), "Garoto Maroto" (Marcos Paiva/Franco), "Rio Antigo" (Nonato Buzar/Chico Anísio), and "Nem Morta" (Michael Sullivan/Paulo Massadas). Daughter of the conductor of the Military Police band of Maranhão, who also taught her the traditions of the bumba-meu-boi, at 13 she started to study the clarninet. At 20 she moved to Rio de Janeiro RJ, working at TV Excelsior. She toured Argentina and Chile for four months. Returning to Brazil, she settled in São Paulo, where she performed in nightclubs singing and playing the trumpet, also appearing in TV. In 1970, she toured Europe for two years. Alcione recorded her first single in Brazil in 1972. In 1973, she performed in Mexico and, in 1974, in Portugal. In 1975, she recorded her first LP, A Voz do Samba, which had the hits "O Surdo" (Totonho/Paulinho Resende) and "Não Deixe o Samba Morrer" (Edson/Aluísio). It became her first gold record. In 1978, her LP Alerta Geral gave the name for the show that she hosted for two years at TV Globo. It was also the theme of the samba-enredo of the Unidos da Ponte samba school in 1994. ~ Alvaro Neder