Poet and lyricist Vinicius de Moraes (1913-1980) was one of the original bossa nova architects, penning dozens of songs which have since become MPB standards. Already an established artist and intellectual figure when the Bossa Nova scene burst out, DeMoraes hung out with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto, adding an air of respectability to their efforts in the early days, when the style was still struggling to establish itself. Vinicius was Jobim's songwriting partner for several years, and co-created the famous play Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus), which was later adapted into a Cannes-winning film. Later, Jobim and Vinicius co-wrote the song, "Chega de Saudade", which became the first bossa nova hit, after guitarist Joao Gilberto was enlisted to record it. A poet and former Brazilian diplomat, De Moraes cultivated an image as an artsy beatnik poet, and would often plug a recitation into his songs. During the 1970s his main partner was the acoustic guitarist named Toquinho, a much younger artist who eventually went off on his own.
Toquinho supplied some of Vinicius' most compelling accompaniment, recording several excellent albums with him, and touring extensively. His classical guitar perfectly captured the cosmopolitan bossa nova vibe. Sadly, his later solo recordings (several of which are reviewed below) tend to be pretty saccharine, although he is a flawless musician.
Vinicius De Moraes "Musicas De Orfeu Da Conceicao" (Odeon, 1956) (LP)
A brief EP that documents the historic stage show of the Orfeu play... it's a pretty rough mix of stagey orchestral themes, De Moraes intoning sections of the libretto, and a somewhat shrill chorus singing a few songs... Some of the melodies will be familiar to fans of the Black Orpheus soundtrack (listed below), but these early versions are rather crude in comparison to the later studio recordings. It's also a very brief disc -- less than twenty minutes long. An important relic of the growth of bossa nova, but not a very satisfying or compelling record. Apparently guitarist Luiz Bonfa plays on this album -- and added material as a composer -- although his performances are obscured in the murky sound mix.
Vinicius De Moraes "Poesias, v.2" (1957) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes "Cancao Do Amor Demais" (1958) (LP)
Various Artists "BLACK ORPHEUS" (Soundtrack) (Fontana, 1959) (LP)
The first major incursion of bossa nova into the minds and hearts of North America and Europe. Actually the album is largely made up of samba de enredo percussive tracks, although Jobim's non-Joao Gilberto bossa and Luiz Bonfa's acoustic guitar work made quite a splash. Internationally, Bonfa's "Manha de Carnaval" was an big hit, and although the bossa nova sound is still a little unformed here, it makes for lovely listening. Vinicius' "Felicidade," a collaboration with Antonio Carlos Jobim, is included, in a disjointed version, where the mellow melody is juxtaposed with the sounds of children at play and ambient sounds of Rio.
Vinicius De Moraes & Antonio Carlos Jobim "Brasilia: Sinfonia Da Alvorada" (1961) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes & Odette Lara "Vinicius + Odette Lara" (Elenco, 1963) (LP)
Bossa nova with a playful edge. Poet/songwriter Vinicius De Moraes, sort of a bossa Beatnik, is teamed up with actress Odette Lara, who acquits herself quite well in the role of Brazil's Brigitte Bardot. Vinicius' vocals are whisper-y, conversational and penetrating, and Lara's are appropriately lush and sultry -- on duets, their voices don't always mesh, but since they mostly trade off on the songs, it doesn't matter much. Features the tune, "Berimbau", which is credited with helping re-popularize the twangy folk instrument of the same name. Strong arrangements and solid delivery make this one well worth checking out.
Vinicius De Moraes "Vinicius: Poesia E Cancao, v.1" (Forma, 1966) (LP)
An often grandiose bossa nova extravaganza, with several of the biggest up-and-coming names in the bubbling MPB scene accompanying Vinicius. The sound quality is very poor, but the performances are, one supposes, historic. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
Vinicius De Moraes "Vinicius: Poesia E Cancao, v.2" (Forma, 1966) (LP)
Pretty much the same deal as the first volume. Among the notable performers is a young Edu Lobo... And again, the sound quality is pretty bad. As far as I can tell, it's the original recording thats at fault, not just the current transfer.
Baden Powell & Vinicius De Moraes "Os Afro-Sambas" (Forma, 1966) (LP)
Unquestionably one of the greatest and most magical Brazilian albums ever recorded, this disc has mysteriously remained largely out of print for decades. Well, now that I've finally shelled out the big bucks for a pricey Japanese import, I'm sure cheap copies will soon flood the market. At any rate, this collaboration between guitarist Baden Powell and bossa poet Vinicius De Moraes is incandescent and timeless; the music leaps out at you, as vibrant now as it was all those years ago. It's also probably the career highpoint for the female vocal group, Quarteto Em Cy, who later became overly polished and bland, but here sound youthful and even a bit unruly -- like a mob of teenage girls dragged in to sing for an after-school choir. The mix of moody, unsettling bossa nova melodies and somewhat abrupt African rhythms was wisely left a bit rough around the edges, and as a result retains an eerie, haunting strength. Powell rerecorded this album twenty-five years later (albeit without Vinicius' help; De Moraes had been dead for over a decade...), and while that version has its moments, it is nowhere near as transcendent as the original. If you can track this album down, it's a classic.
Dorival Caymmi & Vinicius De Moraes "Caymmi No Zum Zum" (Elenco, 1967) (L)
A collaboration with bossa nova poet Vinicius De Moraes, samba composer Dorival Caymmi, the Quarteto Em Cy vocal group and the Oscar Castro-Neves band.
Vinicius De Moraes/Sergio Endrigo/Guiseppe Ungaretti "La Vita, Amico E L'Arte Dell'Incontro" (1969) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes & Amalia Rodrigues "Vinicius/Amalia" (EMI/Valentim De Carvalho, 1970) (LP)
Late in 1968, Vinicius made a journey to Portugal where, as one of the most renowned modern poets of the Portuguese language, he was duly feted as the guest of Amalia Rodrigues, the world's greatest fado singer. This is a recording of a performance/party at her place, with De Moraes and other poets intoning solomnly and Amalia taking a few turns crooning in the stately style she had perfected years earlier. I didn't actually find this album that much fun to listen to, but it is an important document of the acclaim that the new Brazilian art scene aroused back in the mother country. Worth checking out.
Vinicius De Moraes & Toquinho "Sao Demais Os Perigos Desda Vida" (RGE, 1971) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes/Toquinho/Maria Bethania "La Fusa" (EMI, 1971) (LP)
A bossa nova lovefest, with all concerned at the height of their powers. It's mostly Vinicius' show: Bethania sings an only about half the tracks, which is a pity since she compliments his voice so well. I believe this album was an adaptation of a live show, originally staged with Maria Crueza as the female vocalist. Highly recommended!
Vinicius De Moraes/Toquinho/Maria Bethania "En Mar Del Plata" (EMI, 1971) (LP)
This is, I believe, pretty much the same record as La Fusa. Regardless, it's all simply gorgeous. A highpoint for all three artists.
Vinicius De Moraes/Toquinho/Marilia Medalha "Como Dizia O Poeta" (RGE, 1971) (LP)
A classic bossa/MPB album featuring bossa poet Vinicius De Moraes and his touring partner Toquinho, along with vocalist Marilia Medalha, who was a replacement for divas Maria Creuza and Maria Bethania, who had previously sang the lead in the Vinicius-Toquinho stage show, "La Fusa." Medalha may have been a second-stringer, but she sounds quite nice (and quite youthful) here: this was her shining moment, and she made the most of it.
Vinicius & Toquinho "Toquinho E Vinicius" (RGE, 1972) (LP)
A great album, which is typical of tropicalia-era bossa albums, which tried to keep up with the vigorous new style. This features bright, present production and punchy, effective string arrangements which are succinct and avoid sounding syrupy. Recommended!
Vinicius De Moraes & Marilia Medalha "Encontro E Reencontro" (RGE, 1972) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes "Canta Nossa Filha Gabriela" (Polydor, 1972) (LP)
The soundtrack to a soap opera on TV Tupi...
Vinicius De Moraes/Maria Creuza/Toquinho "O Bem Amado" (Soundtrack) (Som Livre, 1973)
Soundtrack album.
Vinicius De Moraes & Toquinho "Vinicius & Toquinho - Toquinho & Vinicius" (Phonogram, 1974) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes/Maria Bethania/Toquinho "Days In Mar Del Plata" (Circular Moves, 2002)
MPB diva Maria Bethania was brought in to take Creuza's place in the La Fusa show, and the difference between their styles is instructive. Where Creuza was all sweetness and light, the archetypal bossa nova songbird, Bethania was, well -- Bethania. Her husky, powerful vocals don't merely compliment Vinicius and Toquinho's compositions, they match them and push them further, bringing a new level of immediacy to the performance. Don't get me wrong: Creuza's vocals were pretty and pleasant, but Bethania's seem somehow momentous. Both versions of the show are worth having, though this one may send shivers down your spine. Recommended!
Vinicius De Moraes & Toquinho "Vinicius/Toquinho" (Phonogram, 1975) (LP)
Vinicius & Toquinho "O Poeta E O Violao" (RGE, 1975)
A sweet, super-informal album that they apparently whipped out in about four hours one day in the studio. The two brainstorm their songlist while the tape is running, and go through an impressive set of bossa nova standards such as "Tristeza," "Chega De Saudade" and "Berimbau..." as well as a cute English-language rendition of the old Nat King Cole hit, "Nature Boy." Not breaking any new ground, but it does show how tight their act was, and how thoroughly in synch they were as a duet.
Vinicius De Moraes/Maria Creuza/Toquinho "Vinicius De Moraes Grabado En Buenos Aires" (Eldorado Records)
A tasty reissue of the first classic, early '70s collaborations between Vinicius and Toquinho, whom he met while working in Argentina. This is also known as La Fusa, which gets a little confusing since Maria Bethania later replaced Creuza as the trio's "girl" singer, and an album under the same title was also released with Bethania as the featured vocalist. In fact, the discography of all these albums is hard to keep straight because there are so many different editions and variant releases out there, on an equally dizzying variety of labels. I'll do my best... but the real thing to keep in mind is that all the versions are quite nice, reflecting some of the finest blends of bossa nova and modern MPB. Recommended... all of 'em!
Vinicius De Moraes/Maria Creuza/Toquinho "Live In Buenos Aires" (Circular Moves, 2002)
The same classic, early '70s collaborations of the time of the "La Fusa" show, with all three artists playing at their peak. Creuza, who later became pretty cheesy and commercialized, is wonderful to hear on these early performances. This US reissue has great sound quality, and it definitely worth tracking down!
Vinicius De Moraes/Toquinho/Ornella Vanoni "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Incoscienza L'Allegria" (Warner Europe, 1976) (LP)
Cool Italian bossa nova... a surprisingly strong album! Italian pop singer Vanoni isn't ideal in the Astrud Gilberto role, but she doesn't suck, either. (It's just that lackluster Italian pop thing.) Still, she gets it better than you'd imagine, and this is a fascinating album, with Italian lyrics in place of the standard Portuguese. As usual, Vinicius and Toquinho turn in a solid performance -- it'd be difficult to imagine this sounding as groovy as it does had she gotten anyone else to back her up. Unusual and worth tracking down.
Vinicius De Moraes & Edu Lobo "Deus Ihe Pague" (Soundtrack) (1976) (LP)
An interesting collaboration in which poet De Moraes provides the libretto and MPB composer Lobo the music for this musical stage play. Lobo's score has plenty of punchy musical Broadway-isms, liberally laced with Brazilian samba rhythms; some of it's interesting and original, some of it feels old hat. The oddest thing about this recording is the exclusive use of the stage actors as vocalists and the absence of big-name MPB stars... Thus, folks like Neuza Borges, Margot Britto, Walmor Chagas, Nadinho Da Ilha, Sidney Marques, Marilia Pera and Ronaldo Reseda shoulder the singing chores, and their style is more typical of the show-tunes belters than the smooth bossa-jazz of Brazilian musical royalty. Not sure if it's "better," but it is a different sound... An unusual album, with some creative, inventive work from all involved.
Vinicius De Moraes "Antologia Poetica" (Phonogram, 1977)
Vinicius De Moraes/Toquinho/Miucha/Tom Jobim "Gravado Ao Vivo No Canecao" (Som Livre, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Aloysio de Oliveira)
Cool concert album, conducted by legendary producer Aloysio de Oliveira. Lively but also a bit shrill, this gives a nice glimpse at some of Brazil's most charismatic performers... For Jobim, in particular, this is a nice look behind the veil of his uber-artsy persona.
Vinicius De Moraes & Toquinho "Um Pouco Do Ilusao" (Ariola Records, 1980) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes "A Arca Do Noe" (Ariola Records, 1980) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes "A Arca Do Noe, v.2" (Ariola Records, 1981) (LP)
Vinicius De Moraes/Toquinho/Quarteto Em Cy "En Sao Paulo" (Alfa Records, 1990)
A totally fab recording of a 1974 concert held in Sao Paulo's Teatro Tuca. The theme is a tribute to "the three Pablos" Picasso, Casals and Neruda (who all three died in 1973.) Since my Portuguese is... ahem... a bit rusty, I have no idea what the spoken intros and poems are about, but the performances throughout are captivating. Vinicius does his best to project his oddball artist image, Toquinho jams tirelessly on the guitar and the Quarteto provide quite tasteful vocal accompaniment. Only when Quarteto Em Cy are let loose on their standard a capella Chico Buarque medley do they become a little irritating. The sound quality of this CD leaves a lot to be desired, but the performances are compelling.
Vinicius De Moraes "Como Dizia O Poeta" (Universal, 2001)
Wow. Well, if you just want to settle the matter and be done with it, then try this 27-CD box set... Yes, that's right: twenty-seven CDs of Vinicius de Moraes and related material. It's a pricey little gem, but if you can afford it, it'll answer pretty much all your questions about his recorded work. As far as I know, it's everything, or practically everything he recorded, including several soundtracks and even some poetry albums from the '60s and '70s. I purchased it from Brazil a few months ago, but haven't had the time to really plow through all the albums. The box set itself is very small (you'd thing there were maybe eight or ten discs total, just looking at it) with the original LPs reproduced in miniature cardboard sleeves... It's a very compact set that can fit on the same shelving as regular CDs, nice for those of us with storage issues. Pretty classy packaging, really. The discs included (in the order they are placed in the box set) are: 1. Orfeu De Conceicao (1956), 2. Vinicius & Odette Lara (1963), 3. No Zum Zum (1967), 4. Os Afro Sambas (1966), 5. Poesia E Cancao, v.1 (1966), 6. Poesia E Cancao, v.2 (1966), 7. GAROTA NA IPANEMA (Soundtrack), 8. Vinicius, 9. Vinicius Em Portugal, 10. Como Dizia O Poeta (1971), 11. Toquinho E Vinicius (1971), 12. A Cancao E A Voz De Marilia Medalha Na Poesia De Vinicius de Moraes, 13. Jesus Cristo Superstar, 14. Nossa Filha Gabriela, 15. O BEM AMADO (Soundtrack) (1973), 16. Fogo Sobre Terra (Soundtrack) (1974), 17. Vinicius & Toquinho, 18. Sarava Vinicius!, 19. Vinicius/Toquinho (1975), 20. O Poeta E O Violao (1975), 21. Deus Ihe Pague (1976), 22. Antologia Poetica (1977), 23. Tom, Vinicius, Toquinho E Miucha (1977), 24. 10 Anos De Toquinho E Vinicius, 25. Um Pouco De Ilusao (1980), 26. Lances De Vinicius, v.1 and 27. Lances De Vinicius, v.2... Reviews of individual albums are listed above; interestingly enough, this does not include the fabled Black Orpheus soundtrack. Oh well... can't have everything.
Vinicius De Moraes & Toquinho "Personalidade" (Verve Records, 1993)
For poor folks and other mere mortals, however, single CD best-ofs may suffice... Or at least help get your feet wet and see if you want to check out some of the albums listed above. This was the standard-issue best-of for most of the '80s and early '90s, and still holds its own today...
Vinicius De Moraes & Toquinho "10 Anos: O Melhor De Vinicius & Toquinho" (Philips)
Mainly a bunch of "potporri" medleys of their many and considerable hits, with a couple of straight songs put in as bookends.
Vinicius De Moraes "Minha Historia" (Polygram, 1993)
Vinicius De Moraes & Toquinho "20 Preferidas: Toquinho, Vinicius & Amigos" (RGE, 1997)
An excellent retrospective. Includes a hefty chunk of songs with guest stars on them, especially vocalist Marilia Medalha, whose voice is quite sweet.
Vinicius De Moraes "Millennium" (Polygram, 1999)
Vinicius De Moraes "Serie Sem Limite" (Universal-Mercury, 2001)
Reluctantly recommended. Although I'm a big fan of this particular reissue series, I have to admit I was nonplussed by this collection. Like the other Sem Limite sets, this offers two CDs for the price of one, but unlike the others the music on this set is not as great as it could have been. For some reason, it seems to emphasize their goofier pop side, at the expense of their more solid, traditional bossa nova playing. To be sure, there are lots of great songs on here, but the flow of the album is interrupted by experimental and overly-saccharine material. If you're looking for oddities and atypical numbers from this great duo, then this set may be of interest. Also: not all the material on here is by the Vinicius/Toquinho duo... There are also several songs from the '60s with Vinicius working with Dorival Caymmi, Odette Lara, etc., so this also gives a good glimpse at that period.
Vinicius De Moraes/Maria Creuza/Toquinho "O Grande Encontro De..." (Som Livre)
Speaking of the old stuff, this is a nice collection of classic, early '70s material from the original Vinicius-Toquinho partnership, including some of the best vocals of Maria Creuza's career.
Vinicius De Moraes "Novo Millennium" (Polygram, 2005)
Vinicius De Moraes & Toquinho "Novo Millennium" (Polygram, 2005)
Various Artists "VINICIUS DE MORAES SONGBOOK v. 1" (Lumiar, 1993)
Artists include Tom Jobim, Ivan Lins, Simone, Carlos Lyra, Toquinho, Quarteto Em Cy, and Joyce.
Various Artists "VINICIUS DE MORAES SONGBOOK v. 2" (Lumiar, 1993)
With Joao Bosco, Os Cariocas, Hermeto Pascoal, Wanda Sa, Baden Powell and Elba Ramalho.
Various Artists "VINICIUS DE MORAES SONGBOOK v. 3" (Lumiar, 1993)
Includes Tim Maia, Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Joao Bosco, Egberto Gismonti, Gal Costa and Os Cariocas.
Vinicius De Moraes/Various Artists "PURE BOSSA NOVA: A VIEW ON THE MUSIC OF VINICIUS DE MORAES" (Verve Records, 2007)
Joyce "Negro Demais No Coracao" (CBS Records, 1988)
A nice tribute by jazz guitarist/vocalist Joyce, who toured with Vinicius in the mid-1970s, as the replacement for Toquinho. Cheesy electric keyboards, but lovely vocals.
Joyce "Chante Antonio Carlos Jobim & Vinicius De Moraes" (Iris Musique, 1988)
Likewise, this bossa nova tribute album has keyboards with that terrible lite-jazz tone which may make the hair on your neck stand up (as you wonder "will Whitney Houston be on this album...?"), but Joyce's vocals are quite lovely. It's mainly a vocal effort -- Joyce's guitar work is nonexistent on this disc. But, really, this does highlight her voice quite well, as well as her subtly jazzy inflection. A duet with Maria Bethania ("Tarde Em Itapoan") is particularly nice.
Antonio Carlos Jobim "Tom Canta Vinicius -- Ao Vivo" (Universal, 1990/2001)
A beautiful live tribute to poet/composer Vinicius de Moraes, with Danilo Caymmi on flute, Jaques Morelenbaum on cello, and Paula Morelenbaum on vocals, and Jobim on piano and some vocals, and his son Paulo Jobim on guitar. This is a remarkable about-face for Jobim, almost entirely shedding the sugary overproduction of his later years, in favor of an understated, reverent and leisurely approach to these fab bossa oldies. The Morelenbaums are largely to thank -- Paula has the perfect voice and manner for bossa nova classicism, and as one of Brazil's best modern bandleaders, Jaques Morelenbaum can do no wrong. These musicians later went on to form the equally-impressive Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum, whose album on the Velas label is reviewed below. This is a beautiful album in and of itself -- well worth checking out!
Quarteto Em Cy "Sing Vinicius De Moraes" (Iris Musique, 1996)
Quarteto Em Cy "Vinicius Em Cy" (CID)
Two different albums with the same basic concept: a tribute to Vinicius by the ever-chirpy vocal group, Quarteto Em Cy. I've never been into their stuff, but some folks love 'em.
Claudia Telles "Chega De Saudade - Tributo A VinÃcius De Moraes" (CID, 1999)
Miucha/Tom Jobim/Vinicius De Moraes/Toquinho "Musicalmente Dallo Studio 3" (1978?) (DVD)
An hour-long, all-star concert filmed for Italian TV in the late '70s (October 18, 1978, to be precise, for an appreciative audience in Lugano, Switzerland...) The show was held in honor of songwriter Vinicius De Moraes, who acts as emcee, cigarette and bourbon both firmly in hand. The entire affair is a bit low-key and sedate, in part because of the demure studio audience, but also because Vinicius seems a bit detached and diminished, not really cutting loose until the final medley. To his credit, Toquinho injects a fair amount of life into the show, even though Jobim and Miucha also both seem a bit uncomfortable and reserved. Still, what a great chance to see all this bossa-MPB heavyweights in action, and to hear them address the crowd in Italian, no less. Worth checking out, but don't get your hopes up too high. (On DVD, with subtitles in English, Spanish and Portuguese.)
Toquinho/Various Artists "Toquinho" (Biscoito Fino, 2001) (DVD)
A beautiful historical portrait of acoustic bossa guitarist, Toquinho, performing in concert and in informal sessions along with his own band, and with several of MPB's biggest stars. Cameos by Paulinho Nogueira, Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, Jorge Ben -- and an uncredited Antonio Carlos Jobim -- light up the screen, all aided by Toquinho's graceful, sympathetic accompaniment. The glimpses of him working with Vinicius in the early 1970s are tantalizing and all-too-brief... Is there some other film out there that has more footage of their long, grand collaboration? A nice portrait of one of Brazilian music's most solid and professional performers... Recommended viewing!
