Rosita Melo
Encyclopedia
Clotilde Mela Rosa Luciano, better known as Rosita Melo (9 July 1897 – 12 August 1981), was an Argentinian-Uruguayan
pianist
, composer
and poet
.
She is the author of the famous Creole Waltz "Desde el alma" for which she is recognized as the first female Rioplatense Hispanic
composer in the world.
on July 9, 1897, as the youngest child of Italian immigrants Michele Mela and Rosa Luciano de Mela. She was baptized at the cathedral of Montevideo. Shortly after, the family migrated to Argentine in 1900. They settled in Buenos Aires
when Rosita was three years old.
Rosita showed a great talent for music. At the age of four she could already play the piano by ear. Once in primary school, she never gave up her music studies. She later studied piano in Buenos Aires and ultimately became a professor of piano and concert at the prestigious Thibaud-Piazzini conservatory
.
On February 23, 1922 she married the young poet and writer Victor Piuma Vélez who would write the lyrics for all her compositions. Throughout her life she created a body of work that includes tango
, waltz
, classical and Creole waltzes, pasodoble
s, polkas and marches
. Among them: "Oración", "Tatita" and "Aquel entonces" as well as the waltzes "Yo te adoro", "Por el camino", "Una lágrima para papá", "Cuando de ti ya lejos" and "Aquellos catorce años".
The poems of Rosita were published in newspapers and cultural magazines of her time. Her poems were published in the book "Antología de poetas jóvenes" ("Anthology of Young Poets") alongside those of Alfonsina Storni
and other famous contemporary poets. She gave many concerts of both classical
and popular music
in different cultural centers in Buenos Aires, earning medals and awards.
She was appointed as a representative of music in a ceremony held at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Her husband died in 1976. On August 12. 1981 Rosita Melo died in Buenos Aires. She is buried at the "Rincón de las Personalidades" ("Corner of Personalities") in the Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires. Her two daughters had a monument erected in her memory there.
Rosita is quoted saying it was the work of an adolescent.
The waltz's theme is dedicated to the love of a mother.
Her husband, Victor Piuma Vélez, would write the first set of lyrics for it, years later.
By 1921 Roberto Firpo
had recorded four instrumental waltzes of Rosita.
In 1948 Homero Manzi
wanted to included the waltz in the movie "Pobre mi madre querida", but with different lyrics rewritten by himself which would be sung by Hugo del Carril
.
Vélez and Melo initially opposed the idea, and requested that if Manzi wrote new lyrics, Vélez's name should be included as co-author. Manzi ultimately agreed, the lyrics became famous and the waltz, already a classic by the time, became universally famous.
Manzi's lyrics remain the most famous ones and are often reinterpreted in different versions of the song when performed by other musicians:
Uruguayan people
Uruguayan people or Uruguayans are the citizens of Uruguay, or its descendants abroad. Uruguay is a multiethnic society, which means that it is home to people of many different ethnical backgrounds...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
.
She is the author of the famous Creole Waltz "Desde el alma" for which she is recognized as the first female Rioplatense Hispanic
Rioplatense Spanish
Rioplatense Spanish or River Plate Spanish is a dialectal variant of the Spanish language spoken mainly in the areas in and around the Río de la Plata basin of Argentina and Uruguay, and also in Rio Grande do Sul, although features of the dialect are shared with the varieties of Spanish spoken...
composer in the world.
Biography
Rosita was born in MontevideoMontevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
on July 9, 1897, as the youngest child of Italian immigrants Michele Mela and Rosa Luciano de Mela. She was baptized at the cathedral of Montevideo. Shortly after, the family migrated to Argentine in 1900. They settled in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
when Rosita was three years old.
Rosita showed a great talent for music. At the age of four she could already play the piano by ear. Once in primary school, she never gave up her music studies. She later studied piano in Buenos Aires and ultimately became a professor of piano and concert at the prestigious Thibaud-Piazzini conservatory
Music school
The term music school refers to an educational institution specialized in the study, training and research of music.Different terms refer to this concept such as school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department or conservatory.Music instruction can be provided...
.
On February 23, 1922 she married the young poet and writer Victor Piuma Vélez who would write the lyrics for all her compositions. Throughout her life she created a body of work that includes tango
Tango (dance)
Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after....
, waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
, classical and Creole waltzes, pasodoble
Pasodoble
Pasodoble is a typical dance from Spain march-like musical style as well as the corresponding dance style danced by a couple. It is the type of music typically played in bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring or during the passes just before the kill...
s, polkas and marches
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
. Among them: "Oración", "Tatita" and "Aquel entonces" as well as the waltzes "Yo te adoro", "Por el camino", "Una lágrima para papá", "Cuando de ti ya lejos" and "Aquellos catorce años".
The poems of Rosita were published in newspapers and cultural magazines of her time. Her poems were published in the book "Antología de poetas jóvenes" ("Anthology of Young Poets") alongside those of Alfonsina Storni
Alfonsina Storni
Alfonsina Storni was one of the most important Latin-American poets of the modernist period.-Life:Storni was born in Sala Capriasca, Switzerland to an Argentine beer industrialist living in Switzerland for a few years. There, Storni learned to speak Italian...
and other famous contemporary poets. She gave many concerts of both classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
in different cultural centers in Buenos Aires, earning medals and awards.
She was appointed as a representative of music in a ceremony held at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
Her husband died in 1976. On August 12. 1981 Rosita Melo died in Buenos Aires. She is buried at the "Rincón de las Personalidades" ("Corner of Personalities") in the Chacarita Cemetery in Buenos Aires. Her two daughters had a monument erected in her memory there.
Desde el Alma
In 1911, at the age of 14, Rosita Melo composed her first and now world famous Boston-style Creole waltz "Desde el Alma" ("From the Soul"). Other sources date the composition between 1911 and 1917.Rosita is quoted saying it was the work of an adolescent.
The waltz's theme is dedicated to the love of a mother.
Her husband, Victor Piuma Vélez, would write the first set of lyrics for it, years later.
By 1921 Roberto Firpo
Roberto Firpo
Roberto Firpo was an Argentine tango pianist, composer and leader.Firpo was born in the Flores district of Buenos Aires, where his father owned a grocery store...
had recorded four instrumental waltzes of Rosita.
In 1948 Homero Manzi
Homero Manzi
Homero Nicolás Manzioni Prestera, better known as Homero Manzi was an Argentine Tango lyricist, author of various famous tangos....
wanted to included the waltz in the movie "Pobre mi madre querida", but with different lyrics rewritten by himself which would be sung by Hugo del Carril
Hugo del Carril
Pierre Bruno Hugo Fontana otherwise known as Hugo del Carril was an Argentine film actor, film director and tango singer of the classic era.-Early life:...
.
Vélez and Melo initially opposed the idea, and requested that if Manzi wrote new lyrics, Vélez's name should be included as co-author. Manzi ultimately agreed, the lyrics became famous and the waltz, already a classic by the time, became universally famous.
Manzi's lyrics remain the most famous ones and are often reinterpreted in different versions of the song when performed by other musicians: