Rosinha de Valença

Origin

Valença, RJ

Also known as

Maria Rosa Canellas

Years Active

1963–1992

Genres

bossa nova, MPB, instrumental music, samba, jazz

Instruments

acoustic guitar, vocals

Biography

Maria Rosa Canellas, immortalized by the stage name Rosinha de Valença, was one of the most brilliant instrumentalists in the history of Brazilian music. Originally from Valença, in the interior of Rio de Janeiro, she began her journey as a self-taught musician, watching her brother and practicing at regional dances. Her move to the capital in 1963 marked the beginning of a meteoric rise, when she was discovered by the journalist Sérgio Porto (Stanislaw Ponte Preta). It was he who gave her the famous nickname, arguing that she possessed the talent of an entire city.

In Rio de Janeiro, Rosinha was mentored by Aloysio de Oliveira and Baden Powell, becoming a central figure in the instrumental development of bossa nova. Her refined and vigorous acoustic guitar technique led her to tour the world, joining Sérgio Mendes's group Brasil '65, alongside names like Jorge Ben and Wanda Sá. In addition to her solo career, she stood out as a producer and collaborator of MPB giants, working closely with Martinho da Vila, Maria Bethânia, and Nara Leão.

Her career was tragically interrupted in 1992, when a cardiac arrest left her in a vegetative state for twelve years. Rosinha de Valença is remembered not only as a virtuoso guitarist, but as a woman who broke barriers in a predominantly male instrumental scene, leaving a legacy that unites the sophistication of bossa nova with the roots of Brazilian regional music.

Discography

• Apresentando (1963)
• The Sérgio Mendes Trio Introducing Wanda de Sah With Rosinha de Valenca – Brasil '65 (1965)
• Audition (1965)
• Rosinha de Valenca, Sylvia Telles, Edu Lobo, Salvador Trio Feat. Sergio e Chico Batera, J.T. Meirelles, Rubens Bassini, Jorge Arena – Folklore e Bossa Nova do Brasil (1967)
• Ao Vivo (1967)
• Ipanema Beat (1970)
• Um Violão em Primeiro Plano (1971)
• Rosinha de Valença (1973)
• Ao Vivo (1975)
• Cheiro de Mato (1976)
• Sivuca & Rosinha de Valença – Gravado Ao Vivo (1977)
• Rosinha de Valença, Waltel Branco – Violão em Dois Estilos (1980)
• Encontro das Águas (1983)
• Rosinha de Valença-Flavio Faria, Featuring Toots Thielemans (1989)
• Claire Chevalier, Rosinha de Valença – Saveur Brésil (1991)
• Flavio Faria - Omonimo (2005)
• Rosinha de Valença & Flavio Faria (2016)