1922

Coming from a poor family, she spent childhood in a boarding school and studied music with Villa-Lobos’ wife, eventually singing in a choir conducted by the maestro. Later, she learned to play the cavaquinho, and in the 40s, Ivone moved to Mangueira, where she met samba musicians. By the end of the decade, she joined Império Serrano samba school, writing sambas-enredo (specific for carnival parades, a samba that tell a complete story) like "Não Me Perguntes" (with fuleiro) and " Os Cinco Bailes da Corte ou Os Cinco Bailes da História do Rio" (with Silas de Oliveira and Bacalhau). She only managed to make her first album in 1978, after retiring from her job as a nurse. That same year, Gal Costa and Maria Bethânia recorded her greatest hit, "Sonho Meu", written with Délcio Carvalho. The song was awarded Song of the Year in 1978, granting her an invitation to make her second album, "Samba, Minha Verdade, Minha Raíz", on Odeon in 1979. Then Ivone moved to Warner, where she recorded the album "Sorriso Negro". In 1985, she recorded the album "Ivone Lara" on Som Livre, which featured the song "Se o Caminho é Meu". Other artists who found success through Dona Ivone Lara’s compositions were Clara Nunes and Roberto Ribeiro ("Alvorecer"), Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso and gilberto Gil ("Alguém Me Avisou"), Paulinho da Viola ("Mas quem Disse que eu te Esqueço") and Beth Carvalho ("Força da Imaginação"). Until 2000, she recorded only these 5 LPs and one CD, "Bodas de Ouro". Dona Ivone is the godmother of the group of composers at Império Serrano and participates in the carnival parades every year. Her repertoire is comprised of mostly romantic sambas inspired by rootsy African music.