Denise Emmer

The daughter of writers Janete Clair and Dias Gomes, Rio de Janeiro native Denise Emmer (1958) had been composing since the age of ten and reached the public through TV Globo soundtracks in the 1970s; "Alouette," the theme from Pai Herói, was released as a single in 1980, sold 300,000 copies, and earned her a Gold Record. A physics graduate and a cellist trained at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Música, she made her LP debut with Pelos Caminhos da América, arranged with Grupo Água, on which her songs share space with verses by Ferreira Gullar set to music by Milton Nascimento. On Canto Lunar, consisting entirely of her own compositions, she plays charango, recorder, and harpsichord. She was later also recognized for her award-winning poetry.