Revelation singer Simone Guimarães has been praised by Milton Nascimento; composer of soundtracks and songs like "Ó de Casa" (recorded by Ivan Lins), Guimarães started to play and sing at age eight. After winning several minor competitions at festivals, she became a professional at 19. Along with her solo work, she has written soundtracks for three shows on the nationwide TV network Globo: O Canto da Piracema (together with Paulo Jobim -- the documentary won the Libero Badaró award and the soundtrack was released in a CD), Dioguinho, and the Globo Repórter A Rota do Sul. Her first solo CD came in 1996. She also participated in the Songbook Tom Jobim, interpreting "Pato Preto." Also in 1996, Guimarães began working with two excellent guitarists, Olmir Stoker (Alemão) and Zezo Ribeiro. In 1997, her Cirandeiro got two nominations for the Sharp prize (Best Singer and Best Arrangements) and had three of its tracks included in TV soap operas ("Cirandeiro," in A Indomada, from TV Globo; and her "Brincadeira de Coroar" and "Estrela do Meu Bem Querer" in Serras Azuis, from TV Bandeirantes). In 1998, in a performance in Rio, Guimarães was surprised by Milton Nascimento, who was at the audience but was "deeply moved," as he said, and decided to "sit in." The duet happened again in Nascimento's show Crooner, in which she performed "Para Lennon e McCartney." ~ Alvaro Neder