Chiquinho Gonzaga

Brazilian musician who revolutionized choro music and shaped Brazilian cultural identity

Chiquinha Gonzaga (1847-1935) broke gender and racial barriers as Brazil s first professional female conductor and composer. Born to a mixed-race mother and Portuguese father, she composed over 2,000 works including the first choro piece recognized as Brazilian national music.

Her 1877 composition "Atraente" became controversial for blending European polka with African rhythms - creating the distinctive Brazilian choro style. She later composed "Ó Abre Alas", considered the first carnival march.

Gonzaga made history by:

• Founding the first musicians\’s union in Brazil
• Championing copyright laws
• Using music to support abolitionist causes

Her opera "A Corte na Roça" (1885) satirized Portuguese monarchy decades before modernismo movements. Despite facing sexism and racism, Gonzaga s work became foundational to Brazilian musical nationalism. In 2012, Brazil declared her birth date as National Choro Day.