Zezé Motta

Maria José Motta (born 27 June 1944), known as Zezé Motta, is a Brazilian actress and singer. She is considered one of the most important actresses in Brazil.

Motta has received awards, including the Best Actress Award at the Brasília Film Festival, the Air France Award, the Golden Owl Award, and the Governor of the State Award, in addition to nominations for the Grande Otelo and Guarani awards. In 2007, she received the Oscarito Trophy at the Gramado Film Festival, and in 2019 she was awarded an Honorary Grande Otelo for lifetime achievement.

Early life Motta was born in Usina Barcelos, and later moved to Campos dos Goytacazes, a Brazilian municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in the Southeast region of the country. She moved with his parents and his brother Romilton to Rio de Janeiro at the age of two. His mother worked as a stylist and seamstress, while his father was a musician. Four years later, she joined Rede Globo, portraying Zezinha in A Patota. In 1974, she appeared as Doralice in Supermanoela, followed in 1976 by the role of Jandira in Duas Vidas. She concluded the decade by appearing in the series Ciranda Cirandinha, participating in the episodes “The Hanging Gardens of Babylon” and “The Moment of Decision.”

During the 1980s, she acted in the telenovelas Transas e Caretas and Corpo a Corpo, portraying Dorinha and Sônia, respectively. She later appeared in the series Armação Ilimitada, in the episodes “Jararaca, o Cabra” and “Uma Armação nas Estrelas,” and joined the cast of Helena as Malvina. She concluded the decade in 1989, playing Maria in Pacto de Sangue and Lulu Kelly in Kananga do Japão.

In the early 1990s, she starred as an Ialorixá in the miniseries Mãe de Santo and appeared as Zenaide in the episode “Em Nome do Pai” of the interactive program Você Decide.

In 1994, she portrayed Rubina in Memorial de Maria Moura, followed by the role of Fátima in the telenovela A Próxima Vítima the following year. In 1996, she appeared in Xica da Silva as Maria da Silva, the protagonist’s mother. She concluded the decade portraying Conceição in Chiquinha Gonzaga and returned to Você Decide in the episode “E o Circo Chegou.” and appeared as Mãe Ricardina and Nadir in O Beijo do Vampiro. In 2004, she played the anesthetist Prazeres da Anunciação in Metamorphoses, followed by roles as Titina in Floribella and the enslaved woman Virgínia in the remake of Sinhá Moça. She closed the decade portraying Naná in the miniseries Cinquentinha.

Theatre and music Motta trained as an actress from Teatro Tablado and began her professional career in 1967 in Roda Viva, by Chico Buarque de Hollanda. She became active in Brazilian popular and experimental theatre in the late 1960s and 1970s, performing in productions by Augusto Boal such as Arena Canta Zumbi, Godspell, and others like Orfeu.

She also pursued a parallel career as a singer, working as a crooner in the main nightclubs of São Paulo in the 1970s. In 1978, she released her first solo LP titled (Zezé Motta), released by Warner Music. From then on, she released numerous records, performing songs by important composers such as Luiz Melodia, Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Moraes Moreira, and many others. In addition, her voice immortalized classics such as Senhora Liberdade, a song by Nei Lopes, Wilson Moreira and Zé Renato, Trocando em Miúdos by Chico Buarque and Francis Hime, and Pecado Original by Caetano.

She released more than 10 LPs and CDs, performed representing Brazil at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hannover (Germany), Carnegie Hall in New York (USA), Olympia in Paris, and in countries such as Venezuela, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Angola, and Portugal. and “Coração Vagabundo – Zezé canta Caetano”, in which she sings a repertoire entirely composed by Caetano Veloso.

Film career She made her feature film debut in the early 1970s as a customer at the Viajantes Bar in Cléo e Daniel. In 1973, she appeared in Vai Trabalhar, Vagabundo!, followed in 1974 by roles in Um Varão Entre as Mulheres and Banana Mecânica, in which she portrayed Marilda. and Estrela in A Força do Xangô. That same decade, she starred as the title character in Xica da Silva (1976), directed by Cacá Diegues, a performance that earned her the Best Actress Award at the Brasília Film Festival, as well as the Coruja de Ouro, Air France Award, and the Governor of the State Award.

During the early 1980s, she portrayed Maria das Graças in Águia na Cabeça and Quilombo, the latter as Dandara.

In 1987, she appeared in Sonhos de Menina-Moça as Vicky, The following year, she played Rita in Prisioneiro do Rio and Maria Elisa in Natal da Portela. She closed the decade by voicing Ursula in the Brazilian Portuguese version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid In 1996, she portrayed Carmosina in Tieta do Agreste and, the following year, played Eduarda in O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno. She concluded the decade portraying the mother of the title character in Orfeu. and appeared in the documentary The Denial of Brazil. In 2002, she portrayed Fairy Kálix in Xuxa and the Elves 2 – On the Path of the Fairies and appeared as the woman on the plane in Viva Sapato!. In 2005, she appeared in How Much Is It Worth or Is It by the Kilo?, followed in 2006 by the Lusophone production The Island of Slaves. She has worked to promote the visibility of Black actors and artists and has been recognized for her contributions to racial equality in culture.

She has participated in educational and cultural initiatives, including Telecurso 2000, and frequently engages in public discussions about the representation of Black Brazilians on television and in film.

Zezé Motta founded CIDAN (Brazilian Center for Information and Documentation of the Black Artist) in 1984, after facing racism in the soap opera "Corpo a Corpo". The center was created to combat the invisibility of Black actors, creating a registry to facilitate hiring and promote the professional appreciation of Black artists in the market.

Personal life Zezé Motta has been married five times and has spoken openly about personal challenges, including multiple miscarriages. She raised four children (Luciana, Cintia, Carla, and Robson), and only in 2020 did she legally adopt them, maintaining her ties with their biological families. She is also the grandmother of Isadora (Luciana's daughter), Safyra (Cintia's daughter), and Gabriel (Robson's son).

Zezé Motta has been honored several times at the Rio de Janeiro Carnival and continues to be an active cultural figure. She was honored by Arrastão de Cascadura in the 1989 carnival. The samba school paraded at the Marquês de Sapucaí in Group 1-B (second division) with the theme "Zezé, A Song of Love and Race," celebrating her artistic career. The samba theme song was a major highlight that year.

In 2017, Zezé Motta was honored as the theme of the Acadêmicos do Sossego samba school, a Série A (now Série Ouro) in Rio de Janeiro, with the samba-enredo "Zezé Motta: The Ebony Goddess," celebrating her 50-year career and trajectory in film, theater, and the Black movement. 2020 - Salve-se Quem Puder - Neusa Ferraz

2017 - O Outro Lado do Paraíso - Mãe Quilombo 2016/2020 - 3% - Nair 2011 - Rebelde - Dalva Alves (Dadá) 2009 - Cinquentinha - Janaína (Naná) 2007 - Luz do Sol - Odete Lustosa 2006 - Sinhá Moça - Virgínia (Bá) 2005 - Floribella - Titina 2004 - Metamorphoses - Prazeres da Anunciação 2002 - O Beijo do Vampiro - Nadir 2001 - Porto dos Milagres - Ricardina 2000 - Esplendor - Irene 2000 - Almeida Garrett - Rosa Lima 1999 - Chiquinha Gonzaga - Conceição 1998 - Corpo Dourado - Liana 1996 - Xica da Silva - Maria da Silva 1995 - A Próxima Vítima - Fátima Noronha 1994 - Memorial de Maria Moura - Rubina 1992 - Você Decide 1990 - Mãe de Santo - Ialorixá 1989 - Kananga do Japão - Lulu Kelly 1989 - Pacto de Sangue - Maria 1987 - Helena - Malvina 1984 - Corpo a Corpo - Sônia Nascimento Rangel 1984 - Transas e Caretas - Dorinha 1978 - Ciranda, Cirandinha 1976 - Duas Vidas - Jandira 1974 - Supermanoela - Doralice 1972 - A Patota 1968 - Beto Rockfeller - Zezé

Cinema

2012 - Gonzaga — de Pai pra Filho 2009 - Xuxa em O Mistério de Feiurinha - Jeruza 2007 - Deserto Feliz - Dona Vaga 2006 - A Ilha dos Escravos - Júlia 2006 - Kinshasa Palace 2006 - Cobrador: In God We Trust - Secretaría 2006 - O Amigo Invisível 2005 - Quanto Vale ou É por Quilo? 2004 - Xuxa e o Tesouro da Cidade Perdida - Aurora Hipólito 2003 - Carolina 2003 - Sehnsucht - Miguel's mother 2002 - Xuxa e os Duendes 2 - No Caminho das Fadas 2002 - Viva Sapato! 2000 - Cronicamente Inviável - Ada 1999 - Orfeu - Conceição 1997 - O Testamento do Senhor Napumoceno - Eduarda 1996 - Tieta do Agreste - Carmosina 1990 - O Gato de Botas Extraterrestre 1989 - The Little Mermaid - Ursula (Voice-over; Brazilian version) 1989 - Dias Melhores Virão - Dalila 1988 - Mestizo - Cruz Guaregua 1988 - Prisoner of Rio - Rita 1988 - Natal da Portela - Maria Elisa 1987 - Sonhos de Menina Moça 1987 - Anjos da Noite - Malu 1987 - Jubiabá 1984 - Águia na Cabeça 1984 - Para Viver um Grande Amor 1984 - Quilombo - Dandara 1978 - Tudo Bem - Zezé 1978 - Se Segura, Malandro! 1977 - Cordão de Ouro 1977 - Ouro Sangrento 1977 - A Força do Xangô 1976 - Xica - Xica da Silva 1974 - Um Varão Entre as Mulheres 1974 - Banana Mecânica 1974 - A Rainha Diaba 1973 - Vai Trabalhar Vagabundo 1970 - Em Cada Coração um Punhal 1970 - Cleo e Daniel