The composer Chiquinha Gonzaga: breaking paradigms and “opening wings”

Abstract

This qualitative investigation and bibliographical basis have as its central objective to present a nucleus of reflections on the historical/social, professional and musical process of the composer, conductor and pianist Francisca Edwiges Neves Gonzaga (1847-1935), better known as Chiquinha Gonzaga, presenting important achievements for the female universe, a struggle that is still necessary in contemporary times. Their actions, breaking countless paradigms of current society, address considerations that deserve attention such as: machismo; social imbalance regarding women’s rights; professional prejudice base on unfounded foundations; inequality in the political and economic field; prejudices in the process of musical creation; ethnic-racial position, increasing the unacceptable condition of not having the right to freedom and autonomy, essential items for the construction of a fair and humane society. The reflective content about the aforementioned composer is in continuous dialogue with the present, confirming that revisiting the past helps in the evaluation and critical position of the present day.