Composer Marcelo Diniz, poet who wrote 'Flores', among other songs by faithful partner Fred Martins, dies

Marcelo Diniz (1967 – 2026) dies at the age of 58, victim of a heart attack Reproduction / Facebook Brazilian Academy of Sonnetists – Abrasso ? OBITUARY ? Silence! A Brazilian music poet has died! Marcelo Diniz Martins (1967 – 2026) died on Sunday, August 16, at the age of 58, victim of a heart attack. Master and PhD in Literature and Science of Literature, Marcelo Diniz graduated in Portuguese and Literature from the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF) in Niterói (RJ), the city of Rio de Janeiro where he was born and raised. Academic institutions, such as the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), mourned the death of the professor and poet in official notes. Marcelo Diniz left the poetry books “Trecho” (2002), “Cosmologia” (2004) and “+ 1” (2019), this one with sonnets and visual poems. However, the poet and composer's best-known verses were written for song lyrics by fellow countryman Fred Martins. The best-known song from this fruitful partnership, “Flores”, was released by Zélia Duncan 25 years ago on the album “Sortimento” (2001). “Around the rooms, on the bedroom dresser / A bathtub full of flowers / Along the road, along the street, on the sidewalk / Flowers for me / Flowers in my arms / Offering them to congratulate you / Flowers, as many flowers as necessary / To ask why so many flowers”, sang Zélia, giving voice to Marcelo Diniz's imagistic and restless verses. “Flores” also appears on “Janelas” (2001) – one of Fred Martins’ best albums – alongside other songs by his partners, such as “Tempo afora” and “A Chave”. Marcelo Diniz's partnership with Fred Martins remained rich and strong in Fred's later albums, such as “Raro e commo” (2004) – an album on which songs such as “O samba me diz”, “Céu Acima” and “Sem horizon” appeared – and “Guanabara” (2009). album in which Fred presented more songs from the partnership, including “Amo tanto”, “Por um fio” and “Tudo teu”. Not even Fred Martins' trip to Lisbon (Portugal), the city where he recorded the album “Ultramarino” (2021), dampened the artist's partnership with Marcelo Diniz, a determining factor in the lyricist composer's original work. Occupying chair number 17 at Abrasso (Brazilian Association of Sonnetists), Marcelo Diniz created literary and musical works with an affinity between the verses and rhymes of poems and songs. As a poet, he received the flowers while he was alive. However, as a composer, the lyricist's musical work still deserves to be correctly considered in Brazilian music.