MUSIC AND ITS HISTORY

DORIVAL CAYMMI

Most people say success is talent blended with a little portion of luck.

Maybe that was Dorival Caymmi case. In 1938, coming from Salvador, Bahia, he arrived in Rio de Janeiro to work as a journalist. Luckily he ended up having one of his songs played in the movie Banana da Terra, an international success stared by Carmen Miranda.

Here’s the story: Braguinha, Banana da Terra soundtrack director, had a disagreement with Ary Barroso, who had already composed the song No Tabuleiro da Baiana especially for the movie. Having no soundtrack available, Braguinha thought of Caymmi, who had been composing and singing in some Rio radio stations.

To sum up: a few months after arriving in Rio de Janeiro, 23 year-old Dorival Caymmi composed and recorded the song O que é que a bahiana tem for the movie to be stared by Carmem. Shortly the Brazilian composer was widely known and became a Brazilian music icon.