Mário de Andrade

Mário Raul de Morais Andrade: A Brazilian Renaissance Man

Imagine a man whose life was a symphony of creativity, where every note resonated with the heartbeat of Brazil. Mário Raul de Morais Andrade, born on October 9, 1893, in São Paulo, Brazil, was such an individual. He was not just a poet or novelist; he was a musician, art historian, and photographer all rolled into one. His life was a testament to the idea that true genius knows no boundaries.

From Musician to Poet

Andrade’s journey began as a trained musician, but his curiosity led him down a path of diverse artistic pursuits. After his brother’s untimely death in 1913, he left the Music and Drama Conservatory to care for his family farm. It was here that Andrade truly began to develop his writing skills, laying the foundation for what would become his most influential works.

The Avant-Garde Movement

Andrade was a central figure in the avant-garde movement of São Paulo for twenty years. His involvement in this movement was not just about following trends; it was about shaping the future of Brazilian art and literature. One of his most significant contributions was organizing the Modern Art Week (Semana de Arte Moderna) in 1922, an event that transformed both literature and visual arts in Brazil.

Paulicéia Desvairada: A Baroque Canticle

In 1920, Andrade bought a sculpture entitled ‘Bust of Christ’ by modernist sculptor Victor Brecheret. The family’s reaction was anything but positive; the Brazilian figure with braided hair shocked and angered them. This incident inspired Andrade to write ‘Hallucinated City,’ which later became the title for his influential collection, Paulicéia Desvairada. This book, written over two years, produced a ‘barbaric canticle’ that was eventually edited down to half its original size. The poems in this collection were entirely different from his earlier work, featuring impressionistic and fragmented descriptions in São Paulo dialect.

Macunaíma: A Masterpiece of Brazilian Modernism

In 1928, Andrade published Macunaíma, a novel that is considered a classic of Brazilian literature. This work explored themes of language, culture, and identity through a composite style that blended vivid descriptions of jungle and city life with fantasy elements. The prose in Macunaíma is described as deeply musical, poetic, and full of gods and almost-gods, while containing considerable narrative momentum.

Travelogue and Folklore

Andrade’s travels through Brazil became more than just research trips; he started writing a travelogue called ‘The Apprentice Tourist’ for the newspaper O Diario Nacional. This column served as an introduction to indigenous Brazil while serving as an advertisement for Andrade’s own work. His extensive familiarity with Brazil’s dialects and cultures led him to apply his speech-patterned technique to prose fiction, resulting in two novels: Love, Intransitive Verb (1927) and Macunaíma.

Nationalism and Folklore

Macunaíma is not autobiographical but clearly reflects Andrade’s own life. He was a mulatto whose body was a composite; he had an adult’s body and a child’s head at one point in the novel. Macunaíma himself was a wanderer, never belonging to any one place. The complex inner life of its hero suggests themes little explored in earlier Brazilian literature.

Legacy and Impact

Andrade’s work had a lasting impact on modern Brazilian literature and beyond. He played a crucial role in establishing São Paulo as a hub for artistic innovation. His techniques were influential in the development of ethnomusicology in Brazil, and his position at the Department of Culture allowed him to refine his theory of music, distinguishing between classical and future music based on modernist breakdowns and an understanding of folk music.

Conclusion

Mário Raul de Morais Andrade was a true Renaissance man whose life and work continue to inspire generations. He was not just a poet or novelist; he was a musician, art historian, and photographer all rolled into one. His legacy is a testament to the power of creativity and the importance of exploring diverse artistic pursuits. As we delve deeper into his works, we are reminded that true genius knows no boundaries.