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Alceu Valença

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Alceu Valença
Valença in 2015
Valença in 2015
Background information
Birth nameAlceu Paiva Valença
Born (1946-07-01) July 1, 1946 (age 78)
São Bento do Una, Pernambuco, Brazil
GenresMPB, Brazilian rock, frevo, worldbeat, baião
Occupation(s)Singer, musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Voice, guitar
Years active1968–present
Websitealceuvalenca.com.br

Alceu Valença (born July 1, 1946) is a Brazilian singer, musician, and songwriter.

Alceu Valenca was born in the countryside of 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. In most of his songs, one can find traces of maracatu, coco and "repentes de viola" (improvising fast-paced Brazilian folk music). Valença could utilize the electric guitar, the electric bass, and lately even a synthesizer was added to his broad scope of musical instruments.

Because of that, Valença 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

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Alceu Valença was born in São Bento do Una in 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 in a music contest, singing a song by Capiba. Some years later, his mother got sick and his family moved to Recife to live in his aunt's house. In this period, Valença got interested in some musical instruments, such as acoustic guitar and viola. However, he only won his own guitar when he was 15.[1]

In 1970, Valença earned a law degree at the Recife Law School.[1] However, he only followed the career for a few 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.[2]

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.[1][2]

Along his career, Valença recorded more than 20 albums and travelled around many countries, such as Portugal, France, Netherlands and United States. Actually, he is considered one of the greatest exponents of the music of Pernambuco.[3]

Finally, with the 2013 release of Três Tons de Alceu Valença, a box with the oldies Cinco Sentidos (1981), Anjo Avesso (1983) and Mágico (1984) all of Alceu Valença's solo work is available on CD. In 2014, his album Amigo da Arte was nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Best Brazilian Roots Album.[4]

Discography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Alceu Valença: Biografia". Dicionário Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Alceu Valença". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  3. ^ "Alceu Valença: Release". Música de Pernambuco (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  4. ^ "Nominados – 15a Entrega Anual del Latin Grammy". Latin Grammy Awards official website (in Spanish). Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  5. ^ "Alceu Valença & Geraldo Azevedo – Quadrafônico". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  6. ^ "Molhado de suor". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  7. ^ "Vivo". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  8. ^ "Espelho cristalino". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  9. ^ "Coração bobo". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  10. ^ "Cinco sentidos". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  11. ^ "Cavalo de pau". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  12. ^ "Anjo avesso". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  13. ^ "Mágico". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  14. ^ "Estação da luz". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  15. ^ "Ao vivo". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  16. ^ "Rubi". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  17. ^ "Leque moleque". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  18. ^ "Oropa, França e Bahia". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  19. ^ "Andar andar". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  20. ^ "7 desejos". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  21. ^ "Maracatus, batuques e ladeiras". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  22. ^ "O grande encontro". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  23. ^ "Sol e chuva". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on January 12, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  24. ^ "Forró de todos os tempos". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  25. ^ "Todos os cantos". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  26. ^ "Forró lunar". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  27. ^ "De janeiro a janeiro". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  28. ^ "Ao vivo em todos os sentidos". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  29. ^ "Embolada do tempo". Cliquemusic (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  30. ^ "Marco Zero ao vivo". Discos do Brasil (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  31. ^ "Ciranda mourisca". Discos do Brasil (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
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