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Noel de Medeiros Rosa (December 11, 1910 - May 4, 1937) was a prominent Brazilian songwriter, singer, and guitar/banjo player, recognized as one of the greatest figures in Brazilian popular music. He revolutionized samba by blending its Afro-Brazilian roots with urban, witty language, using it as a medium for ironic social commentary. Born in Rio de Janeiro's Vila Isabel neighborhood into a middle-class family, Noel suffered a disfigured chin due to a birth accident. He began playing the bandolim as a teenager before transitioning to the guitar. Although he started studying medicine, his passion for music led him to spend nights in bars, collaborating with fellow samba musicians. He formed the musical group "Bando de Tangarás" with Braguinha and Almirante, and achieved significant success with his hit "Com que roupa?" in 1931, marking the start of a series of memorable compositions. Noel was also a close friend of Cartola, who often hosted him after nights of drinking. In the early 1930s, Noel began to show symptoms of tuberculosis, frequently seeking treatment at mountain resorts but ultimately returning to Rio's nightlife. He married Lindaura Martins, a seventeen-year-old neighbor, in 1934, yet continued to have affairs. A heavy smoker, many of his photographs depict him with a cigarette. By the late 1930s, his health had severely declined, leading to his death at the

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