Chiquinha Gonzaga – Bio of Brazilian Woman Composer
Early Life Chiquinha Gonzaga (Francisca Edwiges Neves Gonzaga), Brazilian composer has her "canonization" as there is no doubt of her place in the history of Brazil. However, it is necessary to complete this story to obtain an identity, for she had neither parents nor siblings who could give testimony about her life. Born illegitimate in 1847, Chiquinha Gonzaga was abandoned by her mother and raised by her grandmother. She may have been born as Carolina Josefina de Almeida Prado on June 7th 1847, in Rio de Janeiro, but her real name should have been Maria Rita Joaquina Gonzaga. Her father mixed up the baptismal certificates, and she went through life with a different name. She showed an early interest in music, and at the age of 9, she began to study with a priest. In 1865, she moved to Rio de Janeiro, where she continued her musical studies and worked as a piano teacher, adopting Chiquinha. Personal Life There are many different stories about who Ch