José Maurício Nunes Garcia was a Brazilian Black composer and priest. As a child, he was recognized for his "sharp musical memory" and was allegedly able to reproduce any music he heard, as well as write his own music. By age 17 he was already recognized as a professional music teacher. He eventually became the Master of Music of the Portuguese Royal Chapel in Rio de Janeiro, despite aggressive actions taken against Catholic priests with "visible physical defects." He lived and worked in Rio through Brazil's appointment to a United Kingdom with Portugal and its independence in 1822, writing mostly religious music. He wrote a treatise on Harmony and Counterpoint late in his life, it is now lost.