I remember, as clear as daylight, the day, 9th July, 40 years ago, when I listened over the radio that the poet, composer, writer, diplomat Vinicius de Moraes had died.
I was a six-year-old boy, named after the man who was being announced dead - a poet, of whom the first memories I have were the songs from his book for children ‘A Arca de Noé’ (Noah's Ark), that I used to sing at home with my sisters.
In that same year, 1980, in October, I remember watching a TV musical show called ‘Vinicius para Crianças’ (Vinicius for children), with the songs from ‘Arca de Noé’ interpreted by the most famous Brazilian singers and groups at the time.
From that moment on, it began to dawn on me that the name Vinicius de Moraes had a meaning that, as a child, I could not yet understand.
As a teenager, Vinicius de Moraes re-emerged in my life. My curiosity for literature, and poetry in particular, led me to discover his poems. I used my savings to buy his ‘Livro dos Sonetos’ (The Book of Sonnets) and not only read them, but also learned many by heart.
His ‘Soneto de Fidelidade’ was my favourite to recite to the girls I fell in love with (usually a new one every month), followed by his ‘Soneto de Separação’, also recited to these girls when the love was gone.
It was also the time music started to become my most inseparable company and again, Vinicius de Moraes a familiar name. Learning to play his songs, discovering his diverse and magic repertoire, was an experience of personal transformation.
At university, during my undergraduate degree in literature I met Vinicius de Moraes again, now looking at his work in a more academic way, learning about his trajectory as poet and diplomat, his political views and positions.
Vinicius de Moraes was one of those Brazilian artists (and we have had more) that did not observe boundaries. His music was both popular and classic. One cannot talk about Bossa Nova without mentioning his works. He was a sort of godfather of the movement. And he had many godchildren.
During his life and career, he partnered with Baden Powell and together they created the ‘Afrosambas’; with Tom Jobim, one of his most fertile partnerships, they composed ‘Orfeu da Conceição’ – a paradigmatic play in Brazilian history and the first collaboration between the two – and some of the classics of Bossa Nova, such as “Chega de Saudade”, “Eu sei que vou te mar”, and the worldwide known masterpiece ‘Garota de Ipanema’ (The girl from Ipanema), eternalized in the voice of João Gilberto.
With Carlos Lira, Vinicius wrote ‘Pobre menina rica’; with Edu Lobo, ‘Arrastão’ (recorded apotheotically by Elis Regina in 1965). His longlasting partnership was with Toquinho, with whom he wrote classics such “Tarde em Itapuã” and “Regra três”. His songs with Toquinho were the apices of his lyrism.
The list of those with whom he collaborated is like a litany of the Olympus of Brazilian music: Adoniram Barbosa, Antonio Maria, Alaíde Costa, Ary Barroso, Antonio Madureira, Azeitona, Claudio Santoro, Fagner, Francisco Enoé, Francis Hime, Garoto, Haroldo Tapajós, Ian Guest, Jards Macalé, João Bosco, Marília Medalha, Moacir Santos, Mutinho, Nilo Queiroz, Paulo Soledade, Paulo Tapajós, Pixinguinha and Vadico.
In 2016 I directed his ‘Orfeu da Conceição’ at King’s College London, during the Festival of Arts & Humanities, with King’s Brazil Ensemble. Again, Vinicius de Moraes attached himself to my life, reminding me why I am called Vinicius. This performance was also a meeting of good friends and partners in music, literature and life: the verses and lyrics were translated by Prof. David Treece; the arrangements by Stefan Metzger; the Coryphaeus was Prof. Ananya Kabir and Orpheus, Dr. Felipe Botelho.
The play ends with the following verses:
Woman, Death, the Moon conspired
To kill Orpheus, so fatefully
That they killed Orpheus, soul of the streets
Orpheus, the generous, Orpheus, the strong.
Yet there is something those three do not know:
To kill Orpheus Death alone is not enough.
All that is born and has lived must die
The voice of Orpheus alone will never leave this world.
I am tempted to amend the last two lines and say: “All that is born and has lived must die/ The voice of Vinicius de Moraes alone will never leave this world.
