Born in 1913, in Rio de Janeiro, Vinícius de Moraes, one of the most famous names in MPB, was a writer, poet, journalist, film critic, and diplomat. His artistic gift blossomed very early: at age 9, he wrote his first poems, and at 14, he formed a small musical group to play at parties with friends from Santo Inácio school, where he attended secondary school.
Vinícius de Moraes at Santo Inácio school. Source: Vinícius de Moraes website
Image description: This is an old sepia-toned photograph. In the image, we see a group of men in formal attire, possibly from the early twentieth century. The men are arranged in two rows: in front, three are seated, and behind them, others are standing. They all wear white suits with ties, and some wear vests. The central man is seated in a higher chair, wearing a black suit and a hat. Behind him, the men stand in a straight line, also in white suits. The floor has a geometric pattern in sepia tones.From a young age, he embraced the bohemian lifestyle, attending literary circles and Rio nightlife, and enjoyed smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey. He was very sociable, making friends with musicians and great names in Brazilian literature.
At age 20, he graduated as a lawyer. In 1942, he passed the Itamaraty exam and entered the diplomatic career until 1969, when he was dismissed by the military regime.
He wrote for major periodicals such as A Manhã, O Jornal, Diário Carioca, Última Hora, Flan, Senhor and Pasquim. He always flirted with theater and film. In 1956, he brought Orfeu da Conceição to the stage, an adaptation of the Greek work Orfeu e Eurídice to everyday life in Rio de Janeiro. The play premiered at the Theatro Municipal and became an immediate success: it featured great artists and marked the beginning of his historic partnership with Tom Jobim. Carlos Scliar and Djanira were responsible for the posters and the program, and Oscar Niemeyer took care of the set design. In 1959, the play was adapted for film by the Frenchman Marcel Camus. The film, titled Orfeu Negro, received the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.
Vinícius with actors from the play Orfeu da Conceição. Among them, Abdias Nascimento and Léa Garcia. Source: Revista Usina
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people gathered around a table. On the left side, there are two men with open shirts, one of them leaning over the table. In front, a man is seated, holding documents. Behind him, three men are standing, all wearing suits. On the right, there are two seated women, both dressed formally. The image appears to be of an important meeting or discussion.The duo Tom and Vinicius launched MPB to the world with the song Garota de Ipanema, the anthem of Bossa Nova. Written in 1962, the lyrics were inspired by Helô Pinheiro, a young woman who used to walk past the Veloso bar, in Ipanema, literally “on her way to the sea.”
Vinícius with Helô Pinheiro, the Girl from Ipanema. Source: Conexão Jornalismo
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of two people smiling at each other. The person on the left is wearing a black shirt and appears to be seated. The person on the right is wearing a white top with gold details and has long hair. Both are smiling and appear to be in an outdoor setting, with trees and a car partially visible in the background.In the 1970s, Vinícius met another important musical partner, Toquinho: together they did several shows and more than 15 albums, including the iconic Arca de Noé - aimed at children and featuring songs performed by great names of Brazilian music, such as Chico Buarque, Milton Nascimento, and Elis Regina.
Vinícius died on July 9, 1980, of pulmonary edema. After his death, the famous Montenegro street, where Bar do Veloso (later, Garota de Ipanema) was located, came to bear his name.
