Carioca native Noel de Medeiros Rosa was born on December 11, 1910, in Vila Isabel, and was one of the most important artists in Brazilian music.
Self-taught, he started unpretentiously by listening to and repeating the sounds of the mandolin and became a complete artist. He tried medical school, but ended up giving it up for music.
His first success came in 1930, with the release of Com que roupa?. The inspiration for writing this song was much analyzed by political observers, who believed it to be a metaphor for the undefined course of the Revolution of 1930, but Noel was always evasive and used to say it was inspired by a scene from his everyday life, when his mother, already tired of sleepless nights, hid his clothes in an attempt to prevent yet another one of his nighttime revels.
Noel Rosa with his guitar.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph of a person sitting and playing an acoustic guitar. The person is wearing a white outfit with pants and an open shirt. The guitar has a rounded body and six strings. In the background, there is a wall with a picture frame hanging on it.The artist's work is regarded as a portrait of the cultural, political, and economic changes in Rio in the early 20th century, addressing themes that involve the most diverse social classes.
His love life was double and intense, as he maintained a marriage with Lindaura, a young woman from Rio de Janeiro high society, while frequently enjoying himself in the furtive company of Ceci, a prostitute from a cabaret in Lapa.
Noel Rosa with his wife, Lindaura, in 1934. Image taken from O Globo
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a couple posing together. The woman is on the right, holding a bouquet of flowers. She is wearing a dark dress with a jeweled necklace. The man is on the left, wearing a classic suit with a bow tie. Both are smiling at the camera. The background is simple, a textured wall.In 1934, Noel began having the first symptoms of tuberculosis, but he kept up his pace of work and bohemian life, recording and composing extensively for radio and theater. On May 4, 1937, at 26 years old, very young but weakened by the disease, Noel died, leaving behind an incredible body of work with 71 recorded songs.
