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 numb

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.

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).