Alceu Valença

Biography

Alceu Valença (born July 1, 1946) is a Brazilian singer, musician, and songwriter. Alceu Valenca was born in the countryside of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil. He is considered the most successful artist in achieving an aesthetic balance between traditional northeastern Brazilian music and a broad range of electronic sounds and effects from pop music. In most of his songs, one can find traces of maracatu, coco and "repentes de viola" (improvising fast-paced Brazilian folk music). Valença could utilize the electric guitar, the electric bass, and lately even a synthesizer was added to his broad scope of musical instruments. Because of that, Valença was able to recreate Northeastern traditional music, like baião, coco, toada, maracatu, frevo, caboclinhos, embolada and repentes: all sung with a sometimes rock sometimes alternative sounding music background. His music and his themes are intangible, universal and unlimited. However, his aesthetic basis is genuinely Brazilian Northeastern music. Alceu Valença was born in São Bento do Una in Northeast Brazil. When he was young, he used to listen songs by Dalva de Oliveira, Orlando Silva, Sílvio Caldas etc. When he was 5 years old, he part…

Movies & TV Shows

1. O Barato de Iacanga (2019) — Self (archive footage)
2. The Telescope of Time (2014) — Palhaço Quiabo
3. The Night of the Scarecrow (1974) — Espantalho
4. Casseta & Planeta, Urgente! (1992) — cearense da novela das 7 / Alceu Viagra
5. Champs-Elysées (1982) — Self
6. Viva São João! (2002) — Self
7. Mandacaru (1997) — Lampião
8. Patriamada (1985)
9. Rock in Rio 30 Anos (2015) — Self
10. Lendas Brasileiras (2008) — Boitatá
11. Alceu Valença - Na Embolada do Tempo (2019) — Self
12. Jackson: Na Batida do Pandeiro (2019) — Self
13. Alceu Valença - João Rock (2019) — Self - Cantor
14. The Man Who Bottled Clouds (2008) — Self
15. Sérgio Ricardo: Uma Outra História do Cinema Novo (2024)
16. Valencianas (2015) — Self - Cantor
17. Nas Paredes da Pedra Encantada (2011) — Self
18. Vinicius para Criança: A Arca de Noé (1980) — Self
19. João do Vale, Muita Gente Desconhece (2005) — Self (archive footage)
20. All for the Music (2018) — Self
21. Salve o Prazer! (2020) — Self
22. Cafi (2021) — Self
23. Vivo 76 (2026) — Self
24. Amanhecendo (1981)
25. Vamos Tocar (2016) — Self
26. O Som do Vinil (2007) — Self
27. BIS Docs (2013)
28. Criança Esperança (1986) — Self
29. Tiny Desk Brazil (2025) — Self

Directed

1. The Telescope of Time (2014) — Director