CANELAS, Maria Rosa

Maria Rosa Canelas, better known by her artistic name Rosinha de Valença, was a Brazilian composer, arranger, singer, and guitarist whose work occupies an important place in bossa nova, samba, choro, and MPB. Born in Valença, Rio de Janeiro, she began playing guitar as a child and was already accompanying singers on local radio and at dances by the age of twelve. In 1963 she moved to Rio de Janeiro, where the journalist Sérgio Porto gave her the name Rosinha de Valença and introduced her to Baden Powell and Aloysio de Oliveira. Her first album, Apresentando Rosinha de Valença, launched a career that brought her into contact with leading figures of Brazilian music, including Sérgio Mendes, Maria Bethânia, Martinho da Vila, Sivuca, and others. As a composer, Valença wrote songs and instrumental pieces that reflect her strong rhythmic language, melodic clarity, and deep connection with Brazilian popular traditions. Her works include Araponga, Cabocla Jurema, Caboclo Ubiratan, Madrinha lua, Meus zêlos, Os grilos são astros, Pro amor de Amsterdam, Samba dos ancestrais, Tema do Zeca da Cuíca, and Usina de prata. Although she was especially celebrated as one of the great guitarists of Brazilian music, her legacy also rests on her work as a composer and arranger, with songs recorded by artists such as Martinho da Vila, Maria Bethânia, Leci Brandão, Joanna, Zezé Motta, and others.