Francisco Luis De Melo - "Chico Roico"
Nasceu a 3 de Dezembro de 1896 e faleceu, em Angra do Heroismo, a 28 de Abril de 1935. Tinha como habilitacoes literarias a 4 classe e ate ir para a tropa, exerceu a profissao de pedreiro. Cumprido o servico militar, seguiu as pisadas de muitos jovens do seu tempo emigrando para os Estados Unidos da America, onde trabalhou "nas vacas", durante alguns anos. Regressou a Terceira, em 1929, continuando a trabalhar como pedreiro.
He was born on December 3, 1896 and died in Angra do Heroismo, Terceira on April 28, 1935. After completing four years of literary study, he entered into the Portuguese army where he begain his profession as a mason. After his military service, like many of his age at the time, he immigrated to the United States where he worked in dairy farms (nas vacas) in the Central California Valley. After a few years, he returned to Terceira in 1929 where he continued his profession as a mason.
E autor de varias dancas e participante activo em diveras cantorias, afirmando-se como um perspicaz cantor de improviso. Antes de emigrar fez, pelo menos, a Danca da Ana, a Danca de Mariquinhas, que foi representada na America a pedido dos emigrantes, e a Danca de Alfaiates. Depois do seu regresso a Terra Natal, aprensentou, em 1930, a Dancas das Armas. Nos anos seguintes, fez mais cinco dancas, cujos textos foram por mim publicados num livro intitulado As Dancas do Entrudo, Lisboa, Editoria Ilhas, 1980; Danca de Ladroes e Fidalgos, 1933; Danca do Estudantezinho, 1934, e a Danca de Carpinteiros, 1935.
He was the author of many dances who actively participated in many "cantorias"-improvisional singing. He was widely known and respected as a singer and writer for his skill of improvisation of lyrics. Before immigrating to the U.S., he wrote two songs: Danca da Ana (Ana's Dance), and Danca de Mariquinhas both of which were favorites among the Portuguese immigrants he encountered in the U.S. His Danca de Alfaiates. (Dance of the Tailors) was another favorite. After he returned to his homeland, in 1930 he completed his Dancas das Armas (Dance of Guns). In the years following he wrote five more dances including; Danca de Ladroes e Fidalgos (Dance of the Thieves and the Nobles), Danca do Estudantezinho (Dance of the Little Student), and Danca de Carpinteiros (Dance of the Carpenters) which have since published again in 1980, in the book entitled As Dancas do Entrudo, a Lisbon Editorial.
Com uma personalidade muito forte, foi admirado e estimado na sua freguesia. As suas dancas foram apreciadas por gente de toda a ilha que se deslocava a Vila Nova para assistir a elas. Chico Roico nao so escrevia os textos como tambem ensaiava as dancas, que eram puxadas pelo irmao, Januario Borges de Melo.
He was highly admired by people of his village in Vila Nova, and was perhaps even best known for his warm, a charasmatic personality. His dances and expertise were often sought out by many on the island. Chico Roico not only wrote the dances on text, but also gave dance lessons, and instructed and
led dances with the help of his brother, Januario Borges De Melo.
As suas qualidades foram elogiadas pelo CHARRUA, numa cantoria na Praca da Vila Nova, que dedicou a seguinte quadra a Francisco da Antonia, nome por que tambem era conhecido:
His works have be immoralized in works of CHARRUA in a song sung in his native village, in the Plaza of Vila Nova, where his name is dedicated in the following stanza, best known as being "Francisco da tia Antonia".
"Tambem foi rei da Sidonia
com um saber sem igual
o Francisco da tia Antonia
para as dancas de carnaval."
Translated as best as I can to:
"As well came the king of Sidonia
who knows there no one better than
Francisco da tia Antonia
for his dances of carnival."
As suas dancas foram muito importantes para a freguesia e, provavelmente para a propria ilha, porque devem ter sido das primeiras em que o enredo se desenvolveu de forma consistente, caracterizando a estrutura das dancas que hoje conhecemos.
His improvisonal words, and character still remain to be an important influence on the dances written today as much as they were at the time they were first written; for the village and island they were inspired from.
Carlos Enes, O Carnaval na Vila Nova, 1998
