Alceu Valença (born July 1, 1946 in São Bento do Una, Pernambuco, Brazil) i… Read Full Bio ↴Alceu Valença (born July 1, 1946 in São Bento do Una, Pernambuco, Brazil) is a Brazilian composer, writer, performer, actor, and poet.

Alceu Valenca was born in countryside 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. One can find traces of maracatu, coco and "repentes de viola" (improvising fast-paced Brazilian folk music) in most of his songs. Alceu was able to utilize the electric guitar the electric bass, and lately even a synthesizer was added to his broad scope of musical instruments.

Because of that, Alceu was able to recreate Northeastern traditional music, like baiao, 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.

Anjo Avesso
Alceu Valença Lyrics

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Safada era a cara do anjo
Que no quarto noturno pintou
No meu ouvido falou
Loucuras de amor
Pegou minha mão e saímos na troca de passos
Que beijo molhado, escandalizado
Que até minha gata se escandalizou
Com um penacho de índio ele me coroou

Sou anjo avesso, sou Tupã presente
Guerreiro sempre, galho da semente
Do algodão, do pau-brasil
Da serpentina que coloriu

Os olhos do cego, a voz do anão
A vida e o meu coração de leão

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Alceu Valença's "Anjo Avesso" depicts a seductive encounter with an angelic figure who is actually deceptive, or "safada" in Portuguese. The singer describes the encounter as taking place in a nighttime bedroom, where the angel whispers wild tales of love in his ear. They then engage in a passionate dance, highlighted by a scandalous, wet kiss that even his cat disapproves of. The encounter culminates with the angel bestowing a feathered headdress upon the singer, signifying some sort of tribal coronation. The chorus, "Sou anjo avesso, sou Tupã presente / Guerreiro sempre, galho da semente," suggests that the singer sees himself as a warrior, a product of both the indigenous and Portuguese roots that inform Brazilian culture.

These lyrics highlight the idea of deceit and seduction, and the contrast between the purity associated with angels and the actual human desires that often accompany such encounters. It shows that even heavenly figures can deceive us with their outward appearance, and that true heroism and bravery comes from embracing one's own roots and cultural heritage. Overall, "Anjo Avesso" is a celebration of Brazilian identity and the strength that comes with embracing one's cultural background.

Line by Line Meaning

Safada era a cara do anjo
The angel's face had a naughty look

Que no quarto noturno pintou
That painted himself in the night room

No meu ouvido falou
He whispered to my ear

Loucuras de amor
Crazy things about love

Pegou minha mão e saímos na troca de passos
He took my hand and we started a dance shuffle

Que beijo molhado, escandalizado
We had a scandalous, wet kiss

Que até minha gata se escandalizou
Even my cat was scandalized

Com um penacho de índio ele me coroou
He crowned me with an Indian headdress

Sou anjo avesso, sou Tupã presente
I'm a reverse angel, I'm present like Tupã (indigenous god)

Guerreiro sempre, galho da semente
Always a warrior, branch of the seed

Do algodão, do pau-brasil
Of cotton, of brazilwood