Antonio Massa Viana • Guitarist
Author
Antonio started writing publicly in High School, after becoming active with local student organizations in his native Bahia. At the time, his poetry was mainly geared towards the composition of protest songs while studying at the extinct Escola Técnica Federal.
In 1996, after working as a writer for CEPA Cultural Center, Antonio published his first poetry book, "Mosaico", which carries much of the social message from his early poetry, along with a journey into self-discovery.
Following the publication, poet Soares Feitosa invited him to assist in the creation of the Jornal de Poesia, the first website dedicated exclusively to the diffusion of Portuguese literature. The Jornal de Poesia is, to this day, the largest database on the web for works from Portuguese-speaking countries, mainly Brazil and Portugal, and includes an array of complete works by renowned authors such as Machado de Assis, Fernando Pessoa, Castro Alves and many more.
In the U.S., Antonio held a position as a reporter and assistant editor for the Brazilian Voice, the largest newspaper for the Brazilian community abroad. He also wrote articles for several local magazines, including Revista Alternativa and The Green Magazine.
He freelances for the MET Opera Guild, translating educational materials into Portuguese and Spanish, sits at the board of the Brazilian Endowment for the Arts, and is a member of Casa do Escritor, in São Paulo. His last poetry book, "Manhã de Enfeite" (Embellished Morning) was recently published.