Noca da Portela

Origin

Leopoldina, MG

Years Active

1950

Genres

samba, samba-enredo

Instruments

acoustic guitar, vocals

Biography

Noca da Portela, artistic name of Osvaldo Alves Pereira, was born in Leopoldina and moved to Rio de Janeiro as a child. Son of a guitar teacher who tried to steer him away from a musical career, Noca followed his passion and studied guitar and music theory at the Order of Musicians of Rio de Janeiro. In addition to his intense dedication to samba, he also actively engaged in politics, militating in the Brazilian Communist Party and imbuing his compositions with a strong engaged and democratic content, as seen in the anthological samba "Virada", which was immortalized by the voice of female sambista Beth Carvalho.

His trajectory in music was marked by his strong connection with the Portela samba school, where he acted as a pillar and composer of memorable samba-enredo pieces awarded with the Golden Banner (Estandarte de Ouro). Over the years, Noca expanded his cultural activities by hosting the radio program "Na Casa de Noca", in addition to briefly serving as the State Secretary of Culture of Rio de Janeiro in 2006. His work continued to be celebrated by new generations and major icons of national music, consolidating his legacy in Brazilian popular culture until his passing.

Noca da Portela passed away in May 2026, at the age of 93, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, following complications resulting from hospital-acquired pneumonia. The wake of the renowned sambista took place at the Portela courtyard in Oswaldo Cruz, with posthumous tributes from authorities and admirers of his work. His vast body of work remains a fundamental heritage of samba and the country's cultural history, revered by names in the Brazilian musical scene.

Discography

• Mãos Dadas (1980)
• Noca da Portela & Roberto Serrão – Brasilidade (1990)
• Samba Verdadeiro (1998)
• Cor da Minha Raça (2011)
• Homenagens (2016)
• Noca da Portela e de Todos os Sambas (2018)