About Jorge Mautner

Jorge Mautner, stage name of Henrique Jorge Mautner (Rio de Janeiro, January 17, 1941) is a singer, composer and writer in Brazil. Son of Anna Illichi of Yugoslav origin and Catholic, and Paul Mautner, an austrian jew, Jorge Mautner was born shortly after his parents landed in Brazil: "I was born here a month after my parents arrived in Brazil, fleeing the Holocaust" . In 1948, his parents divorced. Anna married the violinist Henri Muller and moved to São Paulo. Henri George teaches George the violin. Mautner begins to write his first book, "Deus da chuva e da morte" at age 15. The book was published in 1962 and consists, with "Kaos" (1964) and "Narciso em tarde cinza" (1966), of the trilogy now known as the Kaos mythology. In 1962, adheres to the Brazilian Communist Party, invited by Professor Mario Schenberg to participate, with Jose Roberto Aguilar, in a cultural cell in the Central Committee. After the 1964 military coup, Mautner is arrested. He is released under the condition that he will express himself more "carefully". In 1966, he goes to the United States, where he works at UNESCO and works in translation for Brazilian books. He also gave lectures on these books for the Inter-American Literature. Since 1967, he starts working as secretary to the poet Robert Lowell; he meets Paul Goodman, sociologist, poet and anarchist peace activist of the New Left, from whom he receives significant influence. In 1970, he goes to London, where he approaches Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. Back to Brazil he starts writing in the journal O Pasquim. At this time, Nelson Jacobina knows who will be his musical partner in the following decades. On December 10,1973, the toughest period of military dictatorship, he participates in the Banquete dos Mendigos, show-manifesto conceived and directed by Jards Macalé, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. With UN support, the show takes place at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, transformed into "free territory", and results in double-album recorded live. The album was banned for six years by the military regime and only released in 1979. Mautner releases in 1987, with Gilberto Gil, the movement "Figa Brasil" on the show O Poeta e o Esfomeado. Figa Brasil is linked to the Kaos movement, and aims to discuss issues related to Brazilian culture. Among his musical achievements recorded by great names of MPB are included the songs O vampiro (Caetano Veloso), Maracatu atômico (Gilberto Gil e Chico Science & Nação Zumbi), Lágrimas negras (Gal Costa), Samba dos animas (Lulu Santos) Rock Comendo Cereja, O vampiro e Samba Jambo com (Jonge).