Ary Barroso, 1903 - 1964

Welcome to Connectbrazil.com 's tribute celebration for Brazilian composer Ary Barroso, who's long career helped to define his country's music and culture before his passing in 1964.

He's generally considered to be Brazil's first great pop songwriter and he was the first samba composer to attain international fame. He studied law, worked as a radio announcer, a writer, a TV show host, a talent scout, a editorial critic, a politician, and also as a soccer commentator.

In fact, He was such a soccer fan that he turned down an invitation to move to the United States at the peak of his fame because he didn't want to be far from his favorite team.

Right along with the Beatles "Something" and "The Girl From Ipanema" Ary Barroso's most famous song "Aquarela Do Brasil" (or "Brazil") is listed as one of the 20 most recorded songs of all time. It was given a singular honor when it was voted as the Brazilian song of the Century in 1997 and is regarded by many as Brazil's "unofficial" national anthem.

The song had humble beginnings and was nearly lost to popular music due to an inauspicious debut when it sputtered into life in the summer of 1939 as a samba to exult the beauty of Brazil. And it took a revolutionary new, creative, orchestral arrangement that matched the passion of the melody and lyrics to turn it into a hit later that same year.

Then a chance encounter with the song by producer Walt Disney (during a US State Department "Good Neighbor" tour through Brazil) created the magical momentum that would soon propel the song international acclaim.

Disney included it in his animated film "Saludos Amigos" starring Donald Duck and an irascible parrot named Ze' (Jose) Carioca in 1943- the same year that Carmen Miranda sang it in the feature film "The Gang's All Here." It became a Top Ten hit.

Incredibly, Ary Barroso's "Aquarela Do Brasil" has been performed more than two million times on worldwide broadcasts for radio and television.

I hope that you will enjoy and explore the various links, interactive contests and CD's included as part of our month-long 100th Anniversary celebration. I'm sure that you'll find his musical life and work to be a fascinating part of Brazil's unique place in our world.

- Scott Adams, Chicago, IL

Listen to the Aquarela do Brasil Medley in Real Audio format here.

You'll need the free Real Audio player- You can get it here.

The
'Aquarela do Brasil'
Medley
Performer's List

01. Chico Alves (the original recording of the song)

02. Gal Costa

03. Frank Sinatra

04. Antonio Carlos Jobim

05. Walter Wanderley

06. Elis Regina

07. London Philharmonic

08. Rosa Passos

09. Dionne Warwick

10. Nino Tempo

11. Emilio Santiago

12. João Gilberto

13. Gilberto Gil

14. Caetano Veloso

15. Trio da Paz