Her own life was fraught with several personal tragedies.
Still, for six decades she was a successful artist and much appreciated by many Samba lovers.
In the 60s, Soares married the king of samba football Garincha.
The British queen met Elza Soares during a visit to Brazil in 1968. The British embassy in Brazil wrote on twitter that Queen Elizabeth was impressed by Soare's voice and presence and described their time together as "a meeting between queens".
Eduardo Paes, mayor of Rio, has announced that he intends to announce three days of mourning after the loss of Elza Soares.