One of the first popular composers of Brazil in colonial times, Joaquim Manuel was the first to have lithographed 20 of his modinhas. These modinhas were collected by the Austrian composer Sigismund Neukomm, who harmonized them and had them published in Paris in 1824. Despite that so little about Manuel reached our days, he was highly praised by accounts of the travelers Louis de Freycinet (who held him as a better guitarist than the European ones) and Adrien Balbi ("exceptionally talented for music, famed for his perfect execution of the cavaquinho and author of beautiful modinhas"). Manuel was probably born in Rio de Janeiro around 1780. He was documented living in the city in 1822. He may have died in Rio de Janeiro around 1840. ~ Alvaro Neder