Biography
Vinícius da Moraes (Marcus Vinícius da Cruz e Mello Moraes, 1913 – 1980) was a Brazilian poet, diplomat, lyricist, essayist, musician, singer and playwright. He was born on October 19, 1913, in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, his father was a civil servant, his mother was an amateur piano player.As a student, Moraes sang in the choir and wrote skits that were performed in school performances.
He studied at the University of Rio de Janeiro and received his degree in Law and Social Sciences in 1933. Soon after, he published his first two poetry collections. In 1938 he won a British Council scholarship to study English language and literature at Magdalen College, Oxford University. During his stay in England, he published another poetry collection. In 1941, he returned to Brazil and worked as a film critic for the newspaper A Manhã ("The Morning"), anf a contributor to the literary magazine Clima ("Climate").
In 1943, he was appointed vice consul at the Brazilian consulate in Los Angeles, California. There, he published another book of poems. During the 1950s, he worked for the Brazilian consular service in Paris and Rome. In 1956 he also became known as a playwright by directing his musical Orfeu da Conceição. His work will be transferred to the big screen under the title "Black Orpheus" and will win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1959.
In August 1962, he appeared for the first time as a singer with Jobim and Gilberto at Au Bon Gourmet in Rio. He was expelled from the diplomatic corps in 1969, so he devoted himself entirely to music. He recorded many successful albums and collaborated with the most important artists of his time.
Moraes was a heavy smoker and heavy drinker, he made some visits to rehab clinics but to no avail, his health steadily deteriorated and he finally died at his home in Rio de Janeiro on July 9, 1980. He was married 9 times and in 2010, the Lower House of Brazil approved his posthumous promotion to Ambassador. He has gone down in history for his lyrics and compositions that contributed decisively to the evolution of bossa nova music.