Leny Andrade made samba-jazz, her virtuosic, energetic style, her main area of expression. This earned her a solid reputation as an improviser and singer, which was acknowledged by many of the top musicians who have performed with him, including Paquito D’Rivera (who considers Andrade to be his favorite singer), Luiz Eca and Dick Farney, Eumir Dedato and Francis Hime. Leny Andrade’s unique style was enhanced by bossa nova. This allowed her to incorporate jazz elements into her singing. She finally chose a synthesis of jazz and samba that rejected much of bossa nova’s attention to lyrics in favor of an energetic interpretation. Her dedication to this genre is evident in her 1979 LP Registro. There are also albums that she has dedicated to rootsy samba cancao/samba musicians like Cartola, Leny andrade Interpreta Cartola (1987) and Nelson Cavaquinho (“Luz Negra”), 1994. Throughout her career, Andrade had many hits and some of her biggest include “Estamos Ai” (Durval Ferreira/Mauricio Einhorn), “A Resposta” (Marcos Valle/Paulo Sergio Valle), and “Samba de Rei” (Marcos Vasconcellos/Pingarilho). Andrade began taking classical piano lessons at six years old. She began singing on radio programs like Radio Tupi (Rio de Janeiro) at the age of nine. Six years later she was the Perminio Goncalves Orchestra’s crooner. She performed in 1961 at the Beco das Garrafas nightclubs with the Sergio Mendes Trio and Bottle’s Bar. A Sensacao was her first album. She was also the crooner for Dick Farney’s orchestra, Sao Paulo. 1965 saw her success with Gemini V. She was joined by Pery Ribeiro, the Bossa Tres, and they recorded the live show at Porao 73 nightclub. The LP was also released. She recorded “Estamos ai” (Durval ferreira/Mauricio Einhorn), one her most iconic songs, for an eponymous LP. Andrade then left for Argentina to finish her season. She settled in Mexico where she lived from 1966 until 1970. She and Ribeiro appeared again on Gemini V in 1972. The live recording LP Gemini Cinco Annos Depois/Pery Ribeiro was released.
