Vinicius de Moraes

Vinicius de Moraes (1913–1980) was a Brazilian poet, playwright, diplomat, and lyricist whose collaborations helped shape bossa nova.

Antônio Carlos Jobim: Antônio Carlos Jobim was a Brazilian composer, pianist, and arranger central to bossa nova. Their songs, including “Garota de Ipanema,” joined Jobim’s music to de Moraes’s lyrics.
Garota de Ipanema: “Garota de Ipanema” is a bossa nova song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes. It became the best-known international expression of their songwriting partnership.
Bossa nova: Bossa nova is a Brazilian musical style that combines samba rhythms with quieter singing and sophisticated harmony. De Moraes’s lyrics and collaborations became central to the style’s early repertoire.
Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro is a major Brazilian city on the Atlantic coast and the country’s former capital. The city’s neighborhoods and popular culture recur in de Moraes’s writing and songs.
João Gilberto: João Gilberto was a Brazilian singer and guitarist whose understated style helped define bossa nova. His recordings helped carry songs written by de Moraes and Jobim to wider audiences.
Orfeu da Conceição: Orfeu da Conceição is a 1956 play by Vinicius de Moraes that relocates the Orpheus myth to a Rio de Janeiro favela. The play brought classical myth into modern Brazilian settings and later inspired a celebrated film.
Samba: Samba is a Brazilian music and dance tradition with African roots and many regional forms. Its rhythms and cultural life form a foundation for much of de Moraes’s songwriting.
Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducts Brazil’s diplomacy and manages its overseas relations. De Moraes served as a diplomat in Brazil’s foreign service before the military government removed him.
Baden Powell de Aquino: Baden Powell de Aquino was a Brazilian guitarist and composer known for blending samba with other musical traditions. His partnership with de Moraes produced the Afro-samba repertoire.
Black Orpheus: Black Orpheus is a 1959 film by Marcel Camus adapting the Orpheus myth in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. Its adaptation of de Moraes’s play brought Brazilian music and imagery to international cinema.

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The Girl from IpanemaRelated: He wrote the original Portuguese lyrics with Jobim.