one of the main influences of tropicália was an abstract essay entitled 'the cannibal manifesto' written in 1928 by brazilian poet oswald de andrade. oswald argued that brazil's tendency to 'cannibalize' other cultures was in fact the nation's greatest strength.

this theory was played upon further by the 'tropicalistas' of ipanema, who gathered around posto 9 long into the night, drinking, smoking, and sharing various outlooks and ideas.