“He never gave up his identity throughout his career,” emphasizes journalist Julio Moura, author of the 562-page book “Pelas Ruas Que Andei” (Pelas ruas que andei) – A Biography of Alceu Valença. The work about the artist of multiple influences was released in June in Recife, Brazil.
Valença, who turned 77, has a career marked by resistance and the maintenance of his northeastern roots. He is the creator of a distinct musical style that blends his northeastern roots with contemporary MPB grooves. He is also an energetic, even hypnotic live performer. His songs have been recorded by several major artists, including Luiz Gonzaga (with whom he wrote “Plano Piloto”), Maria Bethânia, and Elba Ramalho.
Son of a locally renowned lawyer, Valença always worried his father with his rebellious character. At five, he participated in a music contest, singing a song by Capiba. At 11, his mother fell ill, and his family moved to Recife. During this period, Valença became interested in the acoustic guitar and the viola. However, he could not get one for several years — he won an instrument during a song contest at the age of 15. In 1965, he began a long period attending law school in Recife with several interruptions. Three years later, he started his musical career with the group Tamarineira Village. He also played with Zé Ramalho and Elba Ramalho during this time. While attending law school, he participated in an essay contest that offered a three-month course at Harvard University as the first prize. Not knowing a word of English, he wrote an essay comparing Marxism to the Catholic Church and poetically pointed out the contradictions of the prevailing political ideologies. He won. During his time at Harvard, he played his political songs in coffee houses when he was not studying. He was profiled by the student newspaper, which referred to him as the “Brazilian Bob Dylan.” After returning to Brazil, he graduated but never practiced law.
In 1972, he met Geraldo Azevedo. Together, they participated in many song festival contests and recorded their first album, Quadrafônico, for Copacabana, produced by none other than Rogério Duprat. He recruited already established musicians, including Zé Ramalho and Elba Ramalho. Valença qualified numerous songs in festival competitions, but due to controversial lyrics, he was often disqualified — although these banned songs won him followers among like-minded youth. Disappointed, he returned to Recife with the conviction of abandoning music. This decision proved to be short-lived.
In 1974, he released the album Molhado de Suor, produced by Eustaquio Sena. An avant-folk venture, it also featured the talents of Azevedo and Lula Côrtes. He toured several northeastern cities. In February 1975, he achieved great success with “Vou Danado pra Catende” at a festival; inspired by the modernist Pernambuco poet Ascenso Ferreira, the audience’s support led the competition jury to create a special “Research” award. In 1975, he recorded the now-classic rock album Vivo, recorded at the Teatro Teresa Raquel in Rio de Janeiro. While touring and constantly participating in song contests, he did not record again for two years; the studio effort Espelho Cristalino was released in 1977 and entered the charts. These two recordings placed him at the top as a unique stylist and composer in the MPB tradition, but he was also embraced by an entire generation of rockers.
Valença was successful beyond anyone’s dreams, except his own. Several of his songs became themes for soap operas (the fastest way to reach a mass audience in Brazil) and increased his already large fan base. He earned a position as one of the most respected singers and composers in Brazilian popular music, and his albums and singles continued to chart.
Throughout his career, Valença recorded more than 20 albums and traveled to many countries, such as Portugal, France, the Netherlands, and the United States. In fact, he is considered one of the greatest exponents of music from Pernambuco.
Finally, with the release in 2013 of Três Tons de Alceu Valença, a box set with the classics Cinco Sentidos (1981), Anjo Avesso (1983), and Mágico (1984), Alceu Valença’s entire 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.