Maria Sidónio

Sidónio was born in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, on 13 July 1920.^[1]

In 1943, Sidónio started to work with the Emissora Nacional, the forerunner of the Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP), participating in numerous programmes, particularly the shows known as the Evenings for Workers. She then met and married Aníbal Nazaré, a writer of revues that were performed in the Parque Mayer theatre district of Lisbon. This gave her the opportunity to perform in several vaudevilles (known in Portugal as Teatro de Revista). In the same period, she made her film debut, participating in and singing in the film A Bride from Brazil (1945), directed by Santos Mendes. This was premiered at the Teatro Tivoli in Lisbon on 14 May 1945. She also became notable for performing at shows for charity. In the early 1950s she toured the country, taking under her wing the young actress, Anita Guerreiro.^[1]

After separating from Nazaré, Sidónio formed a relationship with the singer Tony de Matos [pt], which lasted for around 20 years. In 1957 they left for Brazil and in 1959 opened a typical Portuguese restaurant in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, called O Fado This was organized in the same way as the fado houses in Lisbon, with pictures of monuments and cities of Portugal and with elements of the fado theme, such as a black shawl and a Portuguese guitar, and a painting of Maria Severa Onofriana, the first fado singer to become famous. De Matos performed at the restaurant every night, while Sidónio concentrated on management of the restaurant.^[1][2][3]