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{{Short description|Brazilian musician and artist (1952–2004)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name            = Manduka
| birth_place     = [[Petrópolis]], Rio de Janeiro
| birth_date      = {{Birth date|1952|2|21}}
| genre           = rock, [[soft rock]], [[Folk music|folk]], [[psychedelic rock]], [[Música popular brasileira|MPB]]
| occupation      = Composer, singer, guitarist, songwriter, poet, artist
| death_date      = {{Birth date|2004|10|17}} (age 52)
| death_place     = [[Rio de Janeiro]], Rio de Janeiro
| birth_name      = Alexandre Manuel Thiago de Mello
| associated_acts = [[Los Jaivas]], [[Geraldo Vandré]], [[Soledad Bravo]], [[Dominguinhos]], [[Joyce (singer)|Joyce]]
}}
'''Alexandre Manuel Thiago de Mello''', also known as '''Manduka''' ({{IPA|pt|mɐˈdukɐ}}; February 21, 1952 – October 17, 2004), was a Brazilian composer, musician, poet, and artist. He was an proponent of ''rock nacional'' and [[Nueva Canción Chilena]], having a style that ranged from rock to [[Tropicália|Tropicalismo]] and was known for his recordings with the [[Chileans|Chilean]] group [[Los Jaivas]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manduka|url=http://www.musicapopular.cl/artista/manduka/|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=Manduka {{!}} MusicaPopular.cl|language=es}}</ref>
== Early life ==
Manduka was born in [[Petrópolis]], Rio de Janeiro to journalist Pomona Politis and [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonian]] poet [[Thiago de Mello]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Externo|first=Autor|date=November 2, 2013|title=O poeta e a floresta|url=https://www.franciscogomesdasilva.com.br/o-poeta-e-a-floresta/|access-date=March 28, 2021|website=Francisco Gomes da Silva|language=pt-BR}}</ref> He was also the nephew of musician Gaudêncio Thiago de Mello. At age 18, he moved with his family to [[Santiago]], Chile, where he lived for four years, escaping the increasingly authoritarian [[Military dictatorship in Brazil|political climate]] in Brazil that targeted left-wing intellectuals.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=MANDUKA – MANDUKA (LP)|url=http://www.painteddogrecords.com/manduka.html|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=www.painteddogrecords.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Memorial da Democracia – Vandré faz canção de amor pelo país|url=http://memorialdademocracia.com.br/card/vandre-faz-cancao-de-amor-pelo-pais|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=Memorial da Democracia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Reeditan primer disco homonimo de "Manduka" |url=https://sunderbeats.com//reeditan-primer-disco-homonimo-de-manduka |access-date=2022-03-18 |website=sunderbeats.com |language=es}}</ref>
In 1971, he was invited by the film-maker [[Glauber Rocha]] to act in and compose for the film ''A Estrela do Sol''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Manduka|url=https://dicionariompb.com.br/manduka|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=Dicionário Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira}}</ref> Although uncompleted, it touched on the theme of exile which was a reality for many artists in Brazil at the time, including for both Rocha and Manduka.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thiago de Mello :: DITRA – Dicionário de tradutores literários no Brasil ::|url=https://dicionariodetradutores.ufsc.br/pt/ThiagodeMello.htm|access-date=March 28, 2021|website=dicionariodetradutores.ufsc.br}}</ref> In [[Santiago]], he met [[Geraldo Vandré]], with whom he composed a series of songs. One of these songs, "Pátria Amada Idolatrada Salve-Salve", performed by [[Soledad Bravo]], won at the 1972 Festival de Aguadulce in [[Lima]], Peru.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MANDUKA • Página Principal|url=https://www.cancioneros.com/at/1565/0/biografia-de-manduka|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=CANCIONEROS.COM}}</ref> In 1972 he also released his first LP, ''Manduka,'' with [[RCA Records|RCA Victor]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Manduka|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/1967860-Manduka|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=Discogs|language=en}}</ref>
In 1973 in Chile, he published the book ''Los Burros Negros''. After the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] of president [[Salvador Allende]], he moved to [[Argentina]], where he composed the music to an adaptation of [[the Tempest]] with [[Augusto Boal]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Luiz|first=Macksen|date=February 14, 1982|title=Teatro – A Crítica do Leitor|language=Portuguese|page=B8|work=[[Jornal do Brasil]]|url=http://memoria.bn.br/pdf/030015/per030015_1982_00310.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chesney-Lawrence|first=Luis|date=2013|title=La dramaturgia y dirección escénica de Augusto Boal|s2cid=179756388|language=es}}</ref> He later moved to [[Venezuela]] and visited Europe, living in Germany, France, and Spain.<ref name=":0" /> In Europe, he published more books and recorded the LPs ''Manduka'', ''Manduka e Naná Vasconcelos'', ''Brasil'', ''Caravana'', and ''Los sueños de America''.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Manduka Discography – Slipcue.Com Brazilian Music Guide|url=http://www.slipcue.com/music/brazil/manduka_01.html|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=www.slipcue.com}}</ref>
== Return to Brazil ==
In 1979 Manduka returned to Brazil and released the record ''Los sueños de America'' with Chilean band Los Jaivas.<ref name=":1" /> The following year, the song "Quem Me Levará Sou Eu''",'' which he composed with Dominguinhos and was performed by [[Raimundo Fagner]], won at the Festival [[Rede Tupi|TV Tupi]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Robeiro|first=Solano|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vGBwDwAAQBAJ&q=manduka+Festival+tv+tupi&pg=PT205|title=Prepare seu coração: Histórias da MPB|date=September 3, 2018|publisher=Kuarup Produções LTDA – Karup Editora|isbn=978-85-68494-15-8|language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=PE|first=Do G1|date=February 12, 2014|title=No Recife, o dia é de homenagens para Dominguinhos|url=http://g1.globo.com/pernambuco/musica/noticia/2014/02/no-recife-o-dia-e-de-homenagens-para-dominguinhos.html|access-date=March 28, 2021|website=Música em Pernambuco|language=pt-br}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Marcelo|first=Carlos|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MXXTDwAAQBAJ&q=manduka+Festival+tv+tupi&pg=PT360|title=O fole roncou!: Uma história do forró|date=October 15, 2012|publisher=Editora Schwarcz – Companhia das Letras|isbn=978-85-378-0947-1|language=pt-BR}}</ref>
From 1978 to 1982, He toured around Brazil as a part of Projeto Pixinguinha.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A música como veículo de transformação social {{!}} Brasil Memória das Artes|url=http://portais.funarte.gov.br/brasilmemoriadasartes/acervo/pixinguinha/a-musica-como-veiculo-de-transformacao-social/|access-date=March 28, 2021|language=pt-br}}</ref> During this time, he began to devote more time to the [[visual arts]]. He composed the music to his father's poem ''Amazônia, Pátria da Água'', which was featured in a ''[[Globo Repórter]]'' series directed by Washington Novaes for [[Rede Globo]].<ref>{{Citation|title=LP THIAGO DE MELLO – MORMAÇO NA FLORESTA|url=https://immub.org/album/thiago-de-mello-mormaco-na-floresta|language=pt-br|access-date=March 28, 2021}}</ref> The show was chosen as the best Latin-American cultural program in 1982 in the United States. In this same year, he was chosen to represent Brazil at a musicians' conference taking place in [[Mexico City]], alongside other relevant artists in Latin America at the time like [[Mercedes Sosa]], [[Omara Portuondo]], [[Silvio Rodríguez|Silvio Rodrígues]], and [[Pablo Milanés]].
He then lived in Mexico for six years where he presented cultural advice to the Brazilian Embassy, published the book ''La Pequeníssima História de La Musiquíssima Brasileña'', and hosted a series of conferences for Mexican universities. While still in Mexico, he exhibited his art ''Dibujos de Músico''. In 1986, at the invitation of [[Pablo Milanés]], Manduka traveled to [[Cuba]], where he recorded the LP ''Sétima Vida''.<ref>{{Cite news|last=de Souza|first=Tárik|date=May 1, 1986|title=Música Popular|page=B6|work=[[Jornal do Brasil]]|url=http://memoria.bn.br/pdf/030015/per030015_1986_00270.pdf}}</ref> He returned to Brazil in 1988 where he composed part of the soundtrack to ''Inconfidência Mineira'', which was also for the Globo Repórter.
== Later life ==
Between 1990 and 1997, Manduka developed Conversas Brasileiras, a project aimed to connect musicians, artists, philosophers, sportsplayers, writers, and poets with university students in [[Brasília]] and the [[North Region, Brazil|North]] and [[Northeast Region, Brazil|North East]] regions of Brazil.<ref>{{Cite web|title=O compositor e artista plástico Manduka morre no RJ – Correio do Brasil|date=May 13, 2005 |url=http://arquivo.correiodobrasil.com.br/o-compositor-e-artista-plastico-manduka-morre-no-rj/|access-date=March 28, 2021|language=pt-BR}}</ref> As part of this project, he published the poetry book ''De Algo Pro Vinho'' and released the limited edition CD ''Terceira Asa'' with [[Telebrás|Telebras]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 3, 2014|title=Manduka – Brasil 1500 {{!}} revista USINA|url=https://revistausina.com/instantaneos/manduka-brasil-1500/|access-date=March 28, 2021|language=pt-BR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=manduka records and CDs|url=https://www.musicstack.com/records-cds/manduka|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=MusicStack}}</ref> At this time, he also recorded a studio album with Dominguinhos which remains unreleased.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CD Com os pés no futuro – Ilessi e Diogo Sili interpretam Manduka|url=https://www.somnatoca.com.br/campaigns/cd-com-os-pes-no-futuro-ilessi-e-diogo-sili-interpretam-manduka|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=Som na Toca}}</ref>
In 2002, he wrote three songs for the score to the documentary ''Rocha Que Voa'', directed by Eryk Rocha. He also took part in the making of the soundtracks to documentaries ''Se É Pra Dizer Adeus'', directed by Ana Helena Nogueira, ''José Lins do Rêgo'', directed by [[Vladimir Carvalho]], and ''Glauber o Filme, Labirinto do Brasil'', directed by [[Silvio Tendler|Sílvio Tendler]].<ref name=":1"/> He continued to participate in the conferences for Conversas Brasileiras.
== Work as an artist ==
As an artist, Manduka held several exhibitions and illustrated versions of the books ''O Povo Sabe o que Diz'' and ''De uma Vez por Todas'' by Thiago de Mello, ''Borges Na Luz'' by [[Jorge Luis Borges]], and ''Grafitos nas Nuvens'' by Cassiano Nunes. From 1997 to 2001, he worked intensively with the plastic arts and was recognized by fellow artists and critics, including [[Ferreira Gullar]]. He created studies by combining his traditional artistic style of ink, colored pencils, and pastel with digital technology, aiming at producing a traveling exhibition with large banner pieces.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Morre aos 52 anos, compositor e artista plástico Manduka – Diário do Grande ABC – Notícias e informações do Grande ABC: cultura & lazer|url=https://www.dgabc.com.br/Noticia/126605/morre-aos-52-anos-compositor-e-artista-plastico-manduka|access-date=March 28, 2021|website=Jornal Diário do Grande ABC|date=October 17, 2004 |language=pt-BR}}</ref>
== Death ==
Manduka died from [[Cardiovascular disease|cardiovascular complications]] at age 52 on October 17, 2004, in [[Rio de Janeiro]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Morre compositor e artista plástico Manduka – Brasil|url=https://brasil.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,morre-compositor-e-artista-plastico-manduka,20041016p15740|access-date=March 27, 2021|website=Estadão|language=pt-BR}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Petrópolis]]
[[Category:Brazilian composers]]
[[Category:Brazilian rock musicians]]
[[Category:Brazilian poets]]
[[Category:Brazilian artists]]
[[Category:Brazilian anti-capitalists]]