The Woman Behind the Tutti Fruiti Hat
Carmen Miranda, given name Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha was born February 9, 1909, in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal. When she was just ten months old, her parents moved to Brazil. That is where she got her start and became a singing sensation. In the 1930’s Carmen got her big break and moved to the United States to star on Broadway. Carmen was known in the United States for being a Brazilian singer, and actress who was seen as a Hollywood symbol of Latin American. Because of this, she would have to fight for her identity with her own people. For them, she had become "too Americanized". It was a stereotype she would have to fight against to her dying day.
Carmen Miranda came from humble beginnings.
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She was taking pills to help her sleep, as well as to help her handle the stressful schedule she placed upon herself. She was always up for another take, just one more try to make things perfect. The pills made her fall into a depression that most never saw. She was always the vivacious woman that everyone fell in love with in public. At home, it was a different story. She longed for her home country. After suffering a miscarriage and being told she would never have a child, she became more depressed. Her family took her back home to help her get clean. She spent four months in Brazil getting clean and recuperating. Against her doctor’s wishes, she went right back to work in the U.S. During her last performance she almost collapsed, and said she was out of breath. No one know that this would be her last performance, her last goodbye. She went home and entertained some friends, before she went to bed that night, she suffered a heart attack. When her husband found her in the morning, she was gone. Carmen was only 46 at the time of her death. She returned home to Brazil where she was buried. It is said that close to a million people lined to streets to say goodbye to