José Carlos Capinam

José Carlos Capinam (born 19 February 1941), better known as Capinam or Capinan, is a Brazilian lyricist and poet.^[1] He was active in Brazil's tropicália movement in the 1960s, and he wrote lyrics for various tropicália musicians.^[1]

Born in Esplanada, Bahia, Brazil, at 19 years of age, Capinam moved to Salvador, Bahia and attended the Federal University of Bahia where he studied law.^[1] At university, he was a member of the União Nacional dos Estudantes (National Student Union), and he befriended musicians Gilberto Gil (who was studying business) and Caetano Veloso (who was studying philosophy).^[1] The 1964 military coup d'état forced him to leave Salvador, and he relocated to São Paulo.^[1] In São Paulo he worked on poems for his first book, Inquisitórial.^[1] Eventually he returned to Salvador, this time to study medicine.^[1]

In 2000, he composed the opera Rei Brasil 500 Anos with Fernando Cerqueira and Paul Gold, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Brazil's discovery.^[1]

He has co-written songs with Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and others:

• Gil: "Viramundo" (on Louvação, 1967); "Ponteio" (com Edu Lobo, destaque do III Festival da Record) "Miserere nóbis" (on Tropicália ou Panis et Circencis, 1968), "Soy loco por tí, América" (recorded by Veloso on Caetano Veloso, 1968)
• Veloso: "Clarice" (on Caetano Veloso, 1968); "The Empty Boat" (on Álbum Branco, 1969)
• Paulinho da Viola: "Canção para Maria"^[1]

• "Capinan (José Carlos Capinan)". Dicionário Cravo Albin da Música Popular Brasileira. Instituto Cultural Cravo Albin.