Biography
Francisco Mário, known also as Chico Mário and the brother of cartoonist Henfil together with sociologist Betinho, produced substantial output as both composer and instrumentalist. Hemophilia prompted his concentrated focus on the violão, or acoustic guitar, across prolonged stretches spent bedridden. Beginning at age five, he received instruction after uncle Geraldo relocated from Bocaiúva to Belo Horizonte to teach him the Brazilian viola. By 1965 the violão already occupied a central position in his existence, intimately tied to his vigorous religious practice. He earned an economics degree and completed postgraduate work in systems analysis, trained further on the violão under Henrique Pinto, and devised a color-coded instructional system for children that integrated dramatic arts with Brazilian folkloric music; several São Paulo schools adopted the approach. His teaching activities encompassed children’s stories contributed to Recreio magazine as well as the incorporation of group-dynamics exercises into his musical curriculum.
In 1978 he relocated to Rio and established himself as a working musician. Arranging and harmony lessons with Roberto Gnattali led to the latter’s orchestration of the pieces for his debut presentation, Ouro Preto. The following year brought praise from Carlos Drummond de Andrade and the release of his first album, Terra, issued in Mexico and featuring guest appearances by Joyce, Quarteto em Cy, Antonio Adolfo, Airton Barbosa, and Chiquinho do Acordeon. He took part in Brazil’s initial surge of independent phonographic production and was chosen vice-president of the Independent Record Producers Association (APID). That same year he appeared at the twelfth Festival de Inverno de Ouro Preto. His album Revolta Dos Palhaços was recorded independently in 1980 after two hundred advance purchasers underwrote the project; it included collaborations with poets Aldir Blanc, Paulo Emílio, Fernando Rios, and Gianfrancesco Guarnieri, plus special contributions from Ivan Lins, MPB-4, Lucinha Lins, Boca Livre, Mauro Senise, Luiz Claudio Ramos, Danilo Caymmi, and Djalma Correa. In 1981 he represented Brazil at the Fifth Festival de Oposicion in México and recorded Versos e Viola with Francisco Julião, recently returned from exile; censorship blocked its release. The instrumental Conversa de Cordas, Palhetas e Metais followed, featuring Rafael Rabello, Nivaldo Ornelas, Zeca Assumpção, Antônio Adolfo, and Afonso Machado; the album received the Chiquinha Gonzaga trophy as best Brazilian instrumental recording of 1983, and the accompanying poetry collection Painel Brasileiro appeared simultaneously. In 1984 “São Paulo” earned first prize at the Festival de Ouro Preto; two years later the same piece captured the best-arrangement award at Minas Gerais’ Festival dos Festivais. With his wife Nívia he independently produced Radamés Gnattalli’s solo-piano album Retratos. In 1985 he issued another instrumental set, Pijama de Seda. Retratos (1986) juxtaposed ancient folklore with Brazil’s urban modernity. Chico Mário’s final public performance took place in November at the Suite Brasil project inside Rio’s Parque da Catacumba. Upon learning in 1987 that a blood transfusion had transmitted the AIDS virus, he moved to the family farm in Itatiaia, where he composed his last three works—“Dança do Mar,” “Suíte Brasil,” and “Tempo”—scheduled for recording that October with the Quarteto de Cordas Bosísio; “São Paulo,” drawn from the unpublished Tempo, again took top honors at the Festival de Inverno de Ouro Preto and the best-arrangement prize at the Festival dos Festivais (Minas Gerais). In December more than thirty artists, among them Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Gonzaguinha, Dona Ivone Lara, Paulinho da Viola, Emilio Santiago, Joyce, Claudio Nucci, Fagner, Elton Medeiros, and Aldir Blanc, performed gratis at Rio’s Teatro João Caetano to underwrite his treatment. The following February Minas Gerais musicians mounted a parallel benefit at Teatro Cabaré Mineiro, including Beto Guedes, Paulinho Pedra Azul, Gilvan de Oliveira, Tadeu Franco, and Rubinho do Vale.
Francisco Mário died on 14 March 1988, leaving sufficient material for three records. His widow and producer Nívia Souza together with their sons issued Dança do Mar in a concert at Sala Cecília Meireles featuring Rafael Rabello, Antônio Adolfo, Mauro Senise, Rique Pantoja, David Chew, and Galo Preto. Suíte Brasil appeared in 1992 at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. In 1995 Caju Music reissued three albums on CD—Conversa de Cordas, Couros, Palhetas e Metais, Pijama de Seda, and Retratos—which Fantasy also distributed in the United States. Terra and Dança do Mar received CD reissues in 1997, accompanied by exhibitions at Rio’s Museu de Imagem e do Som and at CRAV in Belo Horizonte. The project Francisco Mário—50 Anos mounted another exhibition in 1998 along with video, theater, concert, and poetry-reading presentations. Regina Spósito released the Marcos Souza–produced CD Marionetes in 1999, devoted to Mário’s compositions; that year Funarte/Itaú Cultural/Atração reissued Suíte Brasil. Chico Mário authored three books: Ressurreição, Como Fazer Um Disco Independente, and the poetry collection Painel Brasileiro.
In 1978 he relocated to Rio and established himself as a working musician. Arranging and harmony lessons with Roberto Gnattali led to the latter’s orchestration of the pieces for his debut presentation, Ouro Preto. The following year brought praise from Carlos Drummond de Andrade and the release of his first album, Terra, issued in Mexico and featuring guest appearances by Joyce, Quarteto em Cy, Antonio Adolfo, Airton Barbosa, and Chiquinho do Acordeon. He took part in Brazil’s initial surge of independent phonographic production and was chosen vice-president of the Independent Record Producers Association (APID). That same year he appeared at the twelfth Festival de Inverno de Ouro Preto. His album Revolta Dos Palhaços was recorded independently in 1980 after two hundred advance purchasers underwrote the project; it included collaborations with poets Aldir Blanc, Paulo Emílio, Fernando Rios, and Gianfrancesco Guarnieri, plus special contributions from Ivan Lins, MPB-4, Lucinha Lins, Boca Livre, Mauro Senise, Luiz Claudio Ramos, Danilo Caymmi, and Djalma Correa. In 1981 he represented Brazil at the Fifth Festival de Oposicion in México and recorded Versos e Viola with Francisco Julião, recently returned from exile; censorship blocked its release. The instrumental Conversa de Cordas, Palhetas e Metais followed, featuring Rafael Rabello, Nivaldo Ornelas, Zeca Assumpção, Antônio Adolfo, and Afonso Machado; the album received the Chiquinha Gonzaga trophy as best Brazilian instrumental recording of 1983, and the accompanying poetry collection Painel Brasileiro appeared simultaneously. In 1984 “São Paulo” earned first prize at the Festival de Ouro Preto; two years later the same piece captured the best-arrangement award at Minas Gerais’ Festival dos Festivais. With his wife Nívia he independently produced Radamés Gnattalli’s solo-piano album Retratos. In 1985 he issued another instrumental set, Pijama de Seda. Retratos (1986) juxtaposed ancient folklore with Brazil’s urban modernity. Chico Mário’s final public performance took place in November at the Suite Brasil project inside Rio’s Parque da Catacumba. Upon learning in 1987 that a blood transfusion had transmitted the AIDS virus, he moved to the family farm in Itatiaia, where he composed his last three works—“Dança do Mar,” “Suíte Brasil,” and “Tempo”—scheduled for recording that October with the Quarteto de Cordas Bosísio; “São Paulo,” drawn from the unpublished Tempo, again took top honors at the Festival de Inverno de Ouro Preto and the best-arrangement prize at the Festival dos Festivais (Minas Gerais). In December more than thirty artists, among them Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Gonzaguinha, Dona Ivone Lara, Paulinho da Viola, Emilio Santiago, Joyce, Claudio Nucci, Fagner, Elton Medeiros, and Aldir Blanc, performed gratis at Rio’s Teatro João Caetano to underwrite his treatment. The following February Minas Gerais musicians mounted a parallel benefit at Teatro Cabaré Mineiro, including Beto Guedes, Paulinho Pedra Azul, Gilvan de Oliveira, Tadeu Franco, and Rubinho do Vale.
Francisco Mário died on 14 March 1988, leaving sufficient material for three records. His widow and producer Nívia Souza together with their sons issued Dança do Mar in a concert at Sala Cecília Meireles featuring Rafael Rabello, Antônio Adolfo, Mauro Senise, Rique Pantoja, David Chew, and Galo Preto. Suíte Brasil appeared in 1992 at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. In 1995 Caju Music reissued three albums on CD—Conversa de Cordas, Couros, Palhetas e Metais, Pijama de Seda, and Retratos—which Fantasy also distributed in the United States. Terra and Dança do Mar received CD reissues in 1997, accompanied by exhibitions at Rio’s Museu de Imagem e do Som and at CRAV in Belo Horizonte. The project Francisco Mário—50 Anos mounted another exhibition in 1998 along with video, theater, concert, and poetry-reading presentations. Regina Spósito released the Marcos Souza–produced CD Marionetes in 1999, devoted to Mário’s compositions; that year Funarte/Itaú Cultural/Atração reissued Suíte Brasil. Chico Mário authored three books: Ressurreição, Como Fazer Um Disco Independente, and the poetry collection Painel Brasileiro.
Albums
