Successful interpreter of carnival marchinhas and other genres, Carmen Costa also participated in several films and in the Bossa Nova Festival in Carnegie Hall in 1962.

Around 1935 she moved to Rio de Janeiro where she started to participate in novice shows in several radio stations. In 1938 she formed a duo with the composer Henricão, recording the hits Onde Está o Dinheiro (Henricão), Dance Mais Um Bocado (Henricão/Príncipe Pretinho), and Samba, Meu Nego (Buci Moreira/Miguel Baúso) with him. Her first solo recording (in 1942) was the classic Está Chegando a Hora (version by Henricão and Rubens Campos for Cielito Lindo). She also had other hits in the next year with Carmelito (Henricão's version for Caminito) and Chamego (Luiz Gonzaga/Miguel Lima). In 1945, she moved to the U.S. and performed two years later at the Triboro Theater in New York. Costa also performed in Venezuela and Colombia. Returning to Brazil, she had one of her biggest hits in 1952, the march Cachaça Não É Água (Mirabeau/Héber Lobato/Lúcio de Castro). Other hits of that period were Eu Sou a Outra, Quase, Obsessão, and Jarro da Saudade. In 1964 she toured the U.S. with Sivuca. She continued to perform intensively in several genres, including sacred music (with arrangements by Paulo Moura) and samba. Costa also starred in the show #Se Você Jurar with Ismael Silva in 1973. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi