Vinicius de Moraes

Vinicius de Moraes (October 19, 1913 - July 9, 1980), born as Marcus Vinícius da Cruz de Melo Morais in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was a seminal figure in contemporary Brazilian music. As a poet, he wrote lyrics for a great number of songs that became all-time classics. As a composer, he wrote some good music, and as an interpreter, he left several important albums.

Contents

1 Early life

2 Advanced studies and early career

3 The early Bossa nova

4 Cinema recognition and collaborations

5 His most popular songs

6 Brazilian performers

Early life

From a musical family, de Moraes began writing poetry early in life. At the age of 14, he became friends with the brothers Paulo and Haroldo Tapajós, and with the latter composed "Loura ou Morena", his first song. In 1929, de Moraes enrolled in law school in Rio de Janeiro. Starting at 1932, he wrote lyrics for ten songs that were recorded by Tapajós brothers. When he finished his studies, he released his books Caminho Para a Distância (1933) and Forma e Exegese. Later, he became a cinema censor for the health and education cabinet (1935) and wrote his third book Ariana, a Mulher (1936).

Advanced studies and early career

Heading to England (1938) with an English government scholarship to study literature at Oxford University, he wrote Novos Poemas. At that time he was married by proxy. With the winds of the World War II, de Moraes returned to Rio in 1941, and began to write film reviews and critiques in newspapers and magazines. Two years later, he joined Brazil's diplomatic service and released his book Cinco Elegias. In 1946, he was sent to Los Angeles as vice-consul in his first diplomatic assignment, and released his work Poemas, Sonetos e Baladas.

Beginning 1950, de Moraes returned to Brazil due to his father's death. His first samba (composed along with musician Antônio Maria), was Quando Tu Passas por Mim, released in 1953, a year in which he moved to France as Brazil's embassy second secretary. His play Orfeu da Conceição won the IV São Paulo Centennial Contest in 1954. The next year he wrote lyrics for some of Cláudio Santoro's chamber music pieces, and later he staged Orfeu da Conceição, later translated to cinema as Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro, Marcel Camus, 1959), co-produced between Brazil, France, Italy and Portugal. He was then introduced to an unknown pianist, Tom Jobim, who was commissioned with writing the music for the play. Jobim composed the music of Se Todos Fossem Iguais a Você, Um Nome de Mulher, and several others songs, that were recorded with Luís Bonfá, between others. Following a return to another diplomatic assignments at France and Uruguay, he released his books Livro de Sonetos and Novos Poemas II.

The early Bossa nova

In 1958, the singer Elizeth Cardoso released her album Canção do Amor Demais, marking the beginning of bossa nova. This record only inludes compositions by the duo "Jobim-de Moraes", or by one of the two (Canção do Amor Demais, Luciana, Estrada Branca,Chega de Saudade, Outra Vez...), in a production that also brought João Gilberto onto two last tracks. After that record, the careers of all of them had great impulse, at time that the songs written by Jobim and de Moraes became disputed by singers.

Cinema recognition and collaborations

Meanwhile, Black Orpheus won an Academy Award for best foreign movie, and also was awarded with the Palme d'Or official award in the Cannes International Film Festival, and the 60' British Academy Award. De Morais, Bonfá and Jobim composed the original music for the movie.

In the 1960s, de Moraes extended his collaborations to many renowned Brazilians singers and musicians, particularly with Toquinho (de Moraes' most frequent partner and closest friend). His songs Para uma Menina com uma Flor and Samba da Bênção (with music of Baden Powell) were included on the soundtrack of A Man and a Woman (Un Homme et une Femme, Claude Lelouch, 1966), a winner movie in the Cannes festival.

Beside his Brazilians partners, hundreds of international performers have been recorded his more than 400 songs. Vinícius de Moraes died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the age of 66.

His most popular songs

A arca de Noé
A felicidade
A flor da noite
A porta
A tonga da mironga do kabuletê
Água de beber
Algum lugar
Amigos meus
Amor em paz
Arrastão
Ausência
Berimbau
Bom dia, amigo
Bom dia, tristeza
Broto triste
Caminho de pedra
Canção da canção que nasceu
Canção da noite
Canção do amanhecer
Canção do amor e paz
Canção do amor ausente
Canção do amor demais
Canto de Ossanha
Canto de Oxum
Canto de Xangô
Canto triste
Carta ao Tom 74
Chega de saudade
Chora coração
Chorando pra Pixinguinha
Coisa mais linda
Como dizia o poeta
Consolação
Cotidiano nº 2
Deixa
Ela é carioca
Estrada branca
Eu não tenho nada a ver com isso
Eu sei que vou te amar
Formosa
Garota de Ipanema
Insensatez
Janelas abertas
Labareda
Lamento
Lamento de um homem só
Lamento no morro
Lembre-se
Loura ou morena
Luciana
Maria
Mais um adeus
Medo de amar
Menina das duas tranças
Menininha
Meu pai Oxalá
Minha namorada
Modinha
Morena flor
Mulher carioca
Mulher, sempre mulher
O astronauta
O bem-amad
O filho que eu quero ter
O grande amor
O morro não tem vez
O nosso amor
O pato
O poeta aprendiz
O tempo da flor
Onde anda você
Outra vez
O velho e a flor
Minha namorada
Pobre menina rica
Por toda a minha vida
Pra que chorar
Pra viver um grande amor
Primavera
Rancho das namoradas
Regra três
Rosa dos Ventos
Sabe você
Samba da Benção
Samba da rosa
Samba da volta
Samba do avião
Samba do carioca
Samba do Pouso
São demais os perigos desta vida
Se o amor pudesse
Se todos fossem iguais a você
Sei lá (A vida tem sempre razão)
Se você disser que sim
Sem você
Serenata do adeus
Só danço samba
Só por amor
Tarde em Itapoã
Tatamirô
Teleco-teco
Tem dó
Um nome de mulher
Uma rosa em minha mão
Valsa do bordel
Valsa de Eurídice
Valsa para uma menininha
Valsinha

Brazilian performers

Jazz performers

Latin performers

Pop performers

Life facts

A detailed look about his life in the music, books, poetry, prose, theater, music, cinema critic, and photos with several musicians and singers, can be seen at his official website.

External link

Official site Vinicius de Moraes (in Portuguese) (http://www.viniciusdemoraes.com.br/)de:Vinícius de Moraes

es:Vinícius de Moraes fr:Vinícius de Moraes pt:Vinícius de Moraes

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