Biography
Clementina de Jesus, a partido-alto singer distinguished by her low register, stayed unknown beyond her local circle until the age of 62. Swift national and international acclaim followed for the power of her expressive delivery, allowing her to join landmark occasions such as the Rosa de Ouro presentation, appearances at Zicartola inside the Teatro Opinião, the Noitada de Samba gatherings, and additional historic programs. Over the years she collaborated onstage and on record with figures of the stature of Nelson Cavaquinho, Turíbio Santos, Pixinguinha, and João da Baiana, among many others. As a youngster she absorbed the folkloric and devotional repertoire—jongo, partido-alto, ladainhas, and similar forms—that her mother performed regularly. For decades she remained an amateur, taking part in Carnaval blocos, lending her voice to church choirs, and joining rodas de samba. Following two decades of domestic work, her professional path opened in December 1964 when classical guitarist Turíbio Santos presented her at Kleber Santos’ Teatro Jovem in Rio de Janeiro during the production O Menestrel. Months afterward, at age 63 in 1965, she received definitive public recognition through her central role in Hermínio Bello de Carvalho’s musical Rosa de Ouro at the same venue. The production, which also showcased Araci Cortes, Paulinho da Viola, and Elton Medeiros, traveled next to Bahia and São Paulo. The live recording of that show became de Carvalho’s debut album, issued the same year as Rosa de Ouro, Vol. 1, with a second volume appearing two years later. On the release Clementina de Jesus introduced the then-little-known jongo through pieces such as “Benguelê” (Pixinguinha/Gastão Vianna) and “Boi Não Berra,” alongside sambas including “Sementes do Samba” (Hélio Cabral) and “Nasceste de Uma Semente” (José Ramos) and the lundu “Bate Canela.” In August 1983 the Rio de Janeiro state government honored her with a gala at the Teatro Municipal that drew Elizeth Cardoso, Beth Carvalho, the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, João Nogueira, Paulinho da Viola, Gilberto Gil, Dona Zica, and Dona Neuma, together with the bateria of the Mangueira samba school. The French government awarded her a decoration in 1985. Long known locally as Quelé, a familiar shortening of her name, and as Rainha Ginga, she embodied that regal title through the distinction. In 1966 she joined Paulinho da Viola, Elizeth Cardoso, and Elton Medeiros in representing Brazil at the Black Arts Festival in Dakar, Senegal. That same year she performed José Maria Neves’ Missa de São Benedito, scored for tamba by Hélcio Milito and voice, at Rio’s Cecília Meireles Hall. Also in 1966 she issued her first solo LP, simply titled Clementina de Jesus. With Pixinguinha and João da Baiana she contributed to the 1968 album Gente da Antiga, released by Odeon. Later that year she appeared on the Mudando de Conversa LP, a document of the stage show featuring Ciro Monteiro and Nora Ney, recorded at Rio’s Teatro Santa Rosa. The 1970 release Clementina Cadê Você?, produced by the Museu da Imagem e do Som in Rio de Janeiro, presented her interpretations of corimás, jongos, modas, and sambas. After suffering thrombosis in 1973 she recorded the LP Marinheiro Só only five months later, incorporating songs by Paulinho da Viola and adaptations of traditional pieces such as “Fui Pedir Às Almas Santas,” “Atraca, Atraca,” and “Incelença.” That year she also joined Milton Nascimento’s Milagre dos Peixes, singing “Escravo de Jó” (Milton Nascimento/Fernando Brant). The Lins Imperial samba school paid tribute to her in 1982 with the theatrical production Clementina -- Uma Rainha Negra. The following year she joined Doca and Geraldo Filme on the LP Canto dos Escravos, delivering slave songs from Minas Gerais gathered by researcher Aires da Mata Machado Filho. In 1985 she released Clementina e Convidados, which included her own composition “Laçador,” co-written with Catoni, and featured guest appearances by Clara Nunes, João Bosco, Roberto Ribeiro, Martinho da Vila, Ivone Lara, Adoniram Barbosa, and Carlinhos Vergueiro. She performed live with Nelson Cavaquinho in São Paulo, upstate Rio de Janeiro, and Curitiba, Paraná. Her final stage appearance took place in 1987 at Rio’s Teatro Carlos Gomes.
Albums
