Helena Meirelles

1994

Why This Album Matters

Helena Meirelles, a Brazilian violeira, singer, and composer, released her eponymous album in 1994, marking a crucial moment for Brazil's instrumental and regional music. This work showcases Meirelles' unparalleled mastery of the viola caipira, an instrument she self-taught, defying family and social conventions. The album is an authentic dive into rural and pantaneira sounds, revealing the soul of an artist who lived the culture of Mato Grosso do Sul intensely. Meirelles' music transcends mere virtuosity, being a profound expression of her region's roots and cultural identity.

Context

Helena Meirelles' trajectory is intrinsically linked to her art. Born in Bataguassu, surrounded by peões and violeiros, she learned to play the viola hidden from her family. After a nomadic life full of challenges, including marriages and the decision to leave her children to follow her musical path, she disappeared for over thirty years. It was only at 67, after being found ill and taken to São Paulo, that Meirelles was "discovered by the media" following an article in the American magazine Guitar Player. Her debut album, Helena Meirelles, emerged in this context of a belated, yet resounding, recognition of an artist who already possessed a lifetime of music and experiences to share.

Legacy

Helena Meirelles' impact was notable, evidenced by international and national recognition. In 1993, even before the release of this album, she was voted by the American magazine Guitar Player, with a vote from Eric Clapton, as one of the world's 100 best instrumentalists for her performance on six, eight, ten, and twelve-string violas. Years later, in 2012, Rolling Stone Brasil magazine included her in the list of the 30 greatest Brazilian guitar and violão icons, in the Brazilian Roots category. Her contribution was so significant that Bataguassu's municipal museum was named after her, eternalising her memory and cultural legacy.

Rankings

Tracks

Films

Helena Meirelles - A Dama da Viola

2004

Helena Meirelles, 80 years old, received the Spotlight Artist award from the American magazine Guitar Player in 1993. Soon after, she was included among the 100 greatest guitarists of the century. Only then did she record her first CD. A viola player from the Pantanal, an original talent from Brazil, she spent much of her life playing in brothels in Mato Grosso. She was also a laundress and a healer. Helena, with her instrument, translates the soul of the Brazilian backlands.

Books

300 Important Albums of Brazilian Music

Charles Gavin, Tárik de Souza, Carlos Calado, Arthur Dapieve · 2008

Conceived by Titãs drummer and musical researcher Charles Gavin, the 434-page book brings together covers and reviews of albums released between 1929 and 2007. The texts were written by journalists Tárik de Souza, Arthur Dapieve and Carlos Calado.

Analyses

Conheça a história de Helena Meirelles, a Dama da Viola e o símbolo da ...

enfoquems.com.br

Em 1994, ano em que completou 70 anos, a gravadora Eldorado lançou seu primeiro CD, "Helena Meirelles", que tem as composições de sua autoria, como "Fiquei sozinha" e "Quatro horas da madrugada", o clássico "Chalana", de Mário Zan e Arlindo Pinto, e "Araponga", de domínio público.

Discogs

Helena Meirelles – Discogs

discogs.com