La fleur du mal of the Portuguese alternative rock: creation, aura and charisma in rock; an approach in the Sociology of the Arts Paula Guerra 1 Abstract Biographies are fundamental for the consolidation of musical consumption and for the sedimentation of the very pillars of the music industry and the star-system. In the field of Sociology, the use of biographies aims at the acquisition and expansion of knowledge about feelings of belonging and emotions, but also about concepts and ideas as regulators of social practices linked to music, rock, and society. Here, we argue that the object of study of Sociology is, therefore, neither the artist, nor the unique relationship between the latter and his school and entourage, but the set of objective and interaction relationships between the cultural agents and all those involved in the production of the social value of an art work. In this context, we resort to the life-story of a particular agent within the specific subfield of the Portuguese alternative rock in order to answer the following question: who ultimately creates the creators? Keywords: charisma, art, artistic creation, subfield of alternative rock, biographies. 1. Popular music and creation: a heuristic opportunity for Sociology The importance of musical biographies is well-known. Apart from motivating a lot of research works, they are also fundamental for the consolidation of musical consumption and for the sedimentation of the music industry pillars. In fact, the field of pop rock is becoming increasingly dependent on musical biographies, since rock music is not only defined by music itself, but also by everything that surrounds it (stories, artefacts, memorabilia). Thus, biographies are just another element that contributes to this process of edification and affirmation of the star-system. In this sense, a biography is a form of fiction as it presupposes a complete life sense. Also as a fictional record, biographies tend to describe lives as ideal archetypes or to portray the image that others hold of those who are biographed. Instead of portraying the stars, they portray those who create and produce them, such as journalists, critics and fans. It is in this sense that the musical field acquires meaning, is evaluated and delimited (Frith, 1978). Not all musical biographies are purely fictional. Recently, there has been an increasing effort among music critics and journalists to compose biographies that allow for a reflexive