at eight years old, mercury began taking dance lessons, particularly classical ballet, jazz, and african dances. at age 13, influenced by the work of elis regina, she decided to become a singer. her repertoire consisted of bossa nova as well as the music of caetano veloso, gilberto gil, and chico buarque. to her parents' unease she started singing in local bars in 1980. she made her trio elétrico debut soon afterward, during the 1981 carnival. mercury's zeal for dance eventually led her to the federal university of bahia, where she enrolled in the dance school in 1984. a year later she married electronic engineer zalther póvoas and gave birth to gabriel almeida póvoas. the next year she gave birth to daughter giovana almeida póvoas.