Maria Helena Gentil do Carmo, better known as Lenita Gentil (Marinha Grande, August 6, 1948), is a Portuguese fado singer. Lenita started singing in public at the age of 5.
At the age of 16, she made her debut at Emissores do Norte Reunidos, in Porto.
Her CV includes several stints at national and international music festivals. At the well-known Figueira da Foz Song Festival, she participated in the 1967 edition, the winner of which was Tonicha with the song “A tua canção avozinha”. She takes 2nd place at the Costa Verde Song Festival (Espinho), with “Quando o Sol Descobre “.
She participated in the Aranda del Duero Festival in 1969 and 1970. In 1970 she competed in a Festival in Mexico. She participated in the Festival RTP da Canção 1971 in 1971 and in a Festival in Romania.
Lenita Gentil also appeared on the stage of the Teatro de Revista and in the cinema she appeared in the film Os Bulls de Mary Foster (1972).
In 1973 she participated in the Two Worlds Festival and the Song Olympics, held in Greece, where she received the Critics’ Prize. In 1975 she participated in Poland’s Sopot Festival. His big hit in the 1980s was “They Were So Long”, a song written by Carlos Paião.
In 1989 she competed for the second time at the Festival RTP da Canção. She recorded some albums in collaboration with fado singer Natalino de Jesus.
On April 5, 2004, at Teatro São Luiz, in Lisbon, Lenita Gentil celebrated 35 years of career (1969-2004) in light music, fado and Coimbra song, in a show featuring artists Janita Salomé, Nuno Guerreiro , Henrique Feist, Tuna of Medicine at the University of Coimbra, Natalino Jesus, Patrícia Rodrigues, Filipe Carriço and Simone de Oliveira.
In July 2004, Movieplay released a double CD with some of her hits.
In October 2005, Lenita Gentil released the album Outro Lado do Fado, published by Ovação, accompanied by Fernando Silva (Portuguese guitar), Jaime Santos (viola) and Joel Pina (bass guitar). This work presents new themes such as “Versos de Amor”, by Sá-Carneiro or “Findar em Teus Braços”, by António Rocha, adapted to traditional fado songs, recreated themes such as “Fria Claridade” created by Amália Rodrigues but with the poem by Pedro Homem de Mello will now be presented with another song or a new version of “Maldição”, also from Amália’s repertoire. This work would be distinguished as the “Best Fado Album” (or “Best Fado Record”) at the “Amália Rodrigues Awards” awarded in 2006.
