Antônio Maria
Encyclopedia
Antônio Maria (March 17, 1921 - October 15, 1964), sports commentator, poet, composer, pop music lyrics writer and chronicler, was born in Recife
, Pernambuco
.
At 17, he got his first job presenting a musical program at Pernambuco's Radio club. In 1940, he arrived in Rio de Janeiro
, "with four changes of clothing and five quid in the pocket", to work as a sports commentator for Radio Ipanema. The job didn't last long and he went back to Recife, where he married Maria Gonçalves Ferreira in May 1944. By 1948, he was back in Rio
. His family now increased by a son and daughter, Rita and Antônio Maria Filho, he took a position as Radio Tupi's production director, and was also a feature writer for the "O Jornal" newspaper.
Antônio Maria wrote daily features for more than 15 years - a daily account of what was going on in Rio de Janeiro. Up until 1955, his by-line appeared on "Long is The Night - A Noite É Grande", the "Antônio Maria Report - Jornal de Antônio Maria" and "Copacabana Cop's Story - Romance Policial de Copacabana".
In his Cop's Story column, Antônio Maria would frequently interview the protagonists of the moment, right in the police stations and on the streets of Copacabana or in the middle of the night.
Author of advertising
jingle
s, he ended up writing pop music lyrics
. In 1952, two of his works: "Menino Grande" and "Ninguém Me Ama", were Top Ten hits on the Brazil
ian radio. In 1959, in partnership with Luiz Bonfá
, he composed the incomparable hits: "Manhã de Carnaval" and "Samba do Orfeu".
Antônio Maria lived his life to the full, both in Rio and in Pernambuco
. His great friend, Vinicius de Moraes
, fondly called him 'Pernambaioca' (a mixture of Pernambucano - a native of Northeastern Brazil
, and Carioca - a native of Rio de Janeiro).
He was the victim of a sudden, massive heart attack
, outside the doors of the Roind Point Restaurant, at the age of 43.
Recife
Recife is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil with 4,136,506 inhabitants, the largest metropolitan area of the North/Northeast Regions, the 5th-largest metropolitan influence area in Brazil, and the capital and largest city of the state of Pernambuco. The population of the city proper...
, Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
.
At 17, he got his first job presenting a musical program at Pernambuco's Radio club. In 1940, he arrived in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, "with four changes of clothing and five quid in the pocket", to work as a sports commentator for Radio Ipanema. The job didn't last long and he went back to Recife, where he married Maria Gonçalves Ferreira in May 1944. By 1948, he was back in Rio
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. His family now increased by a son and daughter, Rita and Antônio Maria Filho, he took a position as Radio Tupi's production director, and was also a feature writer for the "O Jornal" newspaper.
Antônio Maria wrote daily features for more than 15 years - a daily account of what was going on in Rio de Janeiro. Up until 1955, his by-line appeared on "Long is The Night - A Noite É Grande", the "Antônio Maria Report - Jornal de Antônio Maria" and "Copacabana Cop's Story - Romance Policial de Copacabana".
In his Cop's Story column, Antônio Maria would frequently interview the protagonists of the moment, right in the police stations and on the streets of Copacabana or in the middle of the night.
Author of advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s, he ended up writing pop music lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
. In 1952, two of his works: "Menino Grande" and "Ninguém Me Ama", were Top Ten hits on the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian radio. In 1959, in partnership with Luiz Bonfá
Luiz Bonfá
Luiz Floriano Bonfá was a Brazilian guitarist and composer best known for the compositions he penned for the film Black Orpheus.-Biography:...
, he composed the incomparable hits: "Manhã de Carnaval" and "Samba do Orfeu".
Antônio Maria lived his life to the full, both in Rio and in Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
. His great friend, Vinicius de Moraes
Vinicius de Moraes
Marcus Vinicius de Moraes , known as Vinicius de Moraes and nicknamed O Poetinho , was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Son of Lydia Cruz de Moraes and Clodoaldo Pereira da Silva Moraes, he was a seminal figure in contemporary Brazilian music...
, fondly called him 'Pernambaioca' (a mixture of Pernambucano - a native of Northeastern Brazil
Northeast Region, Brazil
The Northeast Region of Brazil is composed of the following states: Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe and Bahia, and it represents 18.26% of the Brazilian territory....
, and Carioca - a native of Rio de Janeiro).
He was the victim of a sudden, massive heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, outside the doors of the Roind Point Restaurant, at the age of 43.