José Joaquim de Campos da Costa de Medeiros e Albuquerque (4 September 1867 – 9 June 1934) was a Brazilian poet, politician, teacher, journalist, short story writer, civil servant, essayist, orator, novelist and dramatist. He is famous for writing the lyrics of the Brazilian Republic Anthem in 1890.
Albuquerque was born in 1867 in Recife, Pernambuco, the son of Dr. José Joaquim de Campos de Medeiros e Albuquerque. Initially homeschooled by his mother, he studied at the Colégio Pedro II and later in Lisbon. Returning to Brazil, he studied natural history with Émil Goeldi and was tutored by Sílvio Romero. He initially worked as a primary teacher, getting in contact with famous writers such as Francisco de Paula Ney and Pardal Mallet. In 1889 he published his first poetry books: Pecados and Canções da Decadência, of strong Symbolist influence.
He was a convicted atheist for most of his life, but he converted to catholicism later in life.[1]
During his last years of life, he would write for many newspapers, using pen names such as Armando Quevedo, Atasius Noll, J. dos Santos, Max and Rifiúfio Singapura.
