About Vinícius de Moraes Vinicius de Moraes, nicknamed O Poetinha (the little poet) (October 19, 1913 - July 9, 1980), born Marcus Vinicius da Cruz de Mello Moraes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, son of Lydia Cruz de Moraes and Clodoaldo Pereira da Silva Moraes, was a seminal figure in contemporary Brazilian music. As a poet, he wrote lyrics for a great number of songs that became all-time classics. He was also a composer of Bossa nova, a playwright, a diplomat and, as an interpreter of his own songs, he left several important albums.