This has been true for Sales’ favorite performers, Juçara Marçal, who, like Sales, bridges Afro-Brazilian folk sounds with more popular music genres like hip-hop, rock, and electronic, as well as the late samba singer Clementina de Jesus. “Juçara and Clementina inspire me beyond their artistry because of their social and political influence. They are national figures of Afro-Brazilian culture.” But despite their importance to Brazilian music, culture, and history, both artists often worked side (and full-time) jobs throughout their careers in order to survive. Marça, for instance, started her music career in 1990, but she didn’t retire from teaching until 2015. Meanwhile, de Jesus worked for decades as a maid before being discovered at the age of 62.