Alceu Valença
Encyclopedia
Alceu Valença is a Brazilian composer, writer, performer, actor, and poet.
Alceu Valenca was born in countryside Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. He is considered the most successful artist in achieving an aesthetic balance between traditional northeastern Brazilian music and a broad range of electronic sounds and effects from pop music. One can find traces of maracatu, coco and "repentes de viola" (improvising fast-paced Brazilian folk music) in most of his songs. Alceu was able to utilize the electric guitar the electric bass, and lately even a synthesizer was added to his broad scope of musical instruments.
Because of that, Alceu was able to recreate Northeastern traditional music, like baião, coco, toada, maracatu, frevo, caboclinhos, embolada and repentes: all sung with a sometimes rock sometimes alternative sounding music background. His music and his themes are intangible, universal and unlimited. However, his aesthetic basis is genuinely Brazilian Northeastern music.
, Pernambuco
, Northeast Brazil. When he was young, he used to listen songs by Dalva de Oliveira
, Orlando Silva, Sílvio Caldas etc. When he was 5 years old, he participated of a music contest, singing a song by Capiba. Some years later, his mother get sick and his family moved to Recife to live in his aunt's house. In this period, Valença get interested in some musical instruments, such as acoustic guitar
and viola
. However, he only won his own guitar when he was 15.
In 1970, Valença got his graduation degree on Laws. However, he only followed a career in which for a matter of months. In fact, in the early 1970s, the reason he had no time for a law career was that he had already launched into a musical direction.
He started his musical career in 1968, with the group Underground Tamarineira Village, later known as Ave Sangria. He also played with Zé Ramalho
and Elba Ramalho
during this period. In 1972, he joined Geraldo Azevedo
. Together, they participated of many festivals and, in that same years, recorded their first album: Alceu Valença & Geraldo Azevedo, also known as Quadrafônico.
Along his career, Valença recorded more than 20 albums and travelled around many countries, such as Portugal, France and United States. Actually, he is considered one of the greatest exponents of the music of Pernambuco.
Alceu Valenca was born in countryside Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. He is considered the most successful artist in achieving an aesthetic balance between traditional northeastern Brazilian music and a broad range of electronic sounds and effects from pop music. One can find traces of maracatu, coco and "repentes de viola" (improvising fast-paced Brazilian folk music) in most of his songs. Alceu was able to utilize the electric guitar the electric bass, and lately even a synthesizer was added to his broad scope of musical instruments.
Because of that, Alceu was able to recreate Northeastern traditional music, like baião, coco, toada, maracatu, frevo, caboclinhos, embolada and repentes: all sung with a sometimes rock sometimes alternative sounding music background. His music and his themes are intangible, universal and unlimited. However, his aesthetic basis is genuinely Brazilian Northeastern music.
Biography
Alceu Valença was born in São Bento do UnaSão Bento do Una
São Bento do Una is a city from the Northeastern Region of Brazil at the Pernambuco state. According with IBGE, has an estimated population of 49.372 inhabitants...
, Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
, Northeast Brazil. When he was young, he used to listen songs by Dalva de Oliveira
Dalva de Oliveira
Dalva de Oliveira or Vicentina de Paula Oliveira was a Brazilian singer and one of divas of the Radio Era....
, Orlando Silva, Sílvio Caldas etc. When he was 5 years old, he participated of a music contest, singing a song by Capiba. Some years later, his mother get sick and his family moved to Recife to live in his aunt's house. In this period, Valença get interested in some musical instruments, such as acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
. However, he only won his own guitar when he was 15.
In 1970, Valença got his graduation degree on Laws. However, he only followed a career in which for a matter of months. In fact, in the early 1970s, the reason he had no time for a law career was that he had already launched into a musical direction.
He started his musical career in 1968, with the group Underground Tamarineira Village, later known as Ave Sangria. He also played with Zé Ramalho
Zé Ramalho
Zé Ramalho is a Brazilian composer and performer. Zé Ramalho has collaborated with various major Brazilian musicians, including Vanusa, Geraldo Azevedo and Alceu Valença to name a few...
and Elba Ramalho
Elba ramalho
Elba Ramalho, is a Brazilian songwriter, performer, poet and actress. She is sometimes called "The Queen of Forró"....
during this period. In 1972, he joined Geraldo Azevedo
Geraldo Azevedo
Geraldo Azevedo is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. He is famous for his contributions to the Brazilian Popular Music scene, especially his partnerships with Alceu Valença and Zé Ramalho.- Discography :...
. Together, they participated of many festivals and, in that same years, recorded their first album: Alceu Valença & Geraldo Azevedo, also known as Quadrafônico.
Along his career, Valença recorded more than 20 albums and travelled around many countries, such as Portugal, France and United States. Actually, he is considered one of the greatest exponents of the music of Pernambuco.
Albums
- 1972: Alceu Valença & Geraldo Azevedo, Copacabana (aka Quadrafônico)
- 1974: Molhado de suor, Som Livre
- 1976: Vivo!, Som Livre
- 1977: Espelho cristalino, Som Livre
- 1979: Saudade de Pernambuco, released in 1998 as a supplement of the newspaper Jornal da Tarde
- 1980: Coração bobo, Ariola
- 1981: Cinco sentidos, Ariola
- 1982: Cavalo de pau, Ariola
- 1983: Anjo avesso, Ariola
- 1984: Mágico, Barclay
- 1985: Estação da luz, RCA Victor
- 1985: Ao vivo, Barclay/Polygram
- 1986: Rubi, RCA Victor
- 1987: Leque molequeLeque molequeLeque moleque is 1987 album recorded by the Brazilian singer and composer Alceu Valença. It includes some hits of the artist, such as "Romance da bela Inês" and "Girassol".-Track listing:-Pesonnel:*Alceu Valença: vocals, acoustic guitar...
, BMG Ariola - 1988: Oropa, França e Bahia, BMG Ariola
- 1990: Andar, andar, EMI Odeon
- 1992: 7 desejos, EMI Odeon
- 1994: Maracatus, batuques e ladeiras, BMG Ariola
- 1996: O grande encontro, BMG Brasil, with Elba Ramalho, Geraldo Azevedo and Zé Ramalho
- 1997: Sol e chuva, Som Livre
- 1998: Forró de todos os tempos, Oásis/Sony Music
- 1999: Todos os cantos, Abril Music
- 2001: Forró lunar, Columbia
- 2002: De janeiro a janeiro
- 2003: Ao vivo em todos os sentidos, Indie Records/Universal Music
- 2005: Na embolada do tempo, Indie Records/Universal Music
- 2006: Marco Zero ao vivo, Indie Records
- 2009: Ciranda mourisca, Biscoito Fino
External links
- Official Alceu Valença website
- The Music of Alceu Valença independent site with all the lyrics and sound clips
- Alceu Valença at NordesteWeb
- http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/valenca_alceu/albums.jhtml?albumId=573914MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Alceu Valença page] - Alceu Valença at Música de Pernambuco