Gabriel Arruda
In an interview with the magazine
Headline
In 1961, Ary Barroso confessed his fear, not of death, but of oblivion: "I'm a dead man walking," he exclaimed. The musician even said he was afraid of an empty funeral, where none of those present paid due attention to the deceased.
Ary's inventiveness and many talents seem to have kept his fear from coming true. The newspaper
O Globo,
O último adeus a Ary Barroso: Mais de cinco mil pessoas acompanharam o enterro [...] O caixão ia coberto por uma bandeira do Flamengo e conduzido, entre outras pessoas, pelo ministro Abelardo Jurema, representando o presidente da República, e pelo deputado Paulo Amora, que representava o governador
A week later, the newspapers were still full of requests for a mass to be held "in honor" of the composer. This was done by Clube de Regatas Flamengo and several associations of musicians and other artists.
The liturgical rites of the seventh day were merged into a single event.
O Globo
Com a igreja da Candelária inteiramente lotada, foi celebrada ontem por Dom Hélder Câmara a missa de 7º dia em memória de Ary Barroso, que contou com o coro do Teatro Municipal [...]. Uma grande fila formou-se para dar pêsames à família de Ary, cuja mensagem de despedida – gravada em mil pequenos discos – será enviada aos amigos pelo seu filho, Sr. Flávio Rubens Barroso, que fez a gravação
Present, in addition to family and friends, were
Musicians
Ataulpho Alves, Pixinguinha, Almirante, Vicente Celestino, Donga, and João de Barro, in addition to Senator Juscelino Kubitschek, congressman Jamil Amiden, and Ministers Luiz Gallotti and Amaral Peixoto.
Some curious writings by Ary, found by his daughter Mariúza after her father's death, show that he foresaw, in a way, his legacy: "I know they consider me dead/ But my great comfort/ Is that it's all a lie/ I don't die alone/ [...] / I am eternal/ Because God made me so."
Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph. On the left, we see a man lying on his back, partially covered by a white towel. His posture is relaxed, with his arms crossed over his chest and his legs bent. On the right, there is text written in blue and green, highlighting the name "Ary Barroso" and phrases about his life and work. The background is simple, with a horizontal division between areas of brown and gray color.Entrevista com Ary Barroso na revista Manchete
. Rio de Janeiro, 04 de novembro de 1961. Revista Manchete/ Hemeroteca Digital - Biblioteca Nacional, página 47, Edição: 0498