Gabriel Arruda
Sixty years ago, on a Carnival Sunday, the composer passed away
Ary Barroso. And it wasn't just any
wants carnival. That year, Império Serrano was parading with the theme
Brazilian Watercolor
In tribute to Barroso's famous song. "Aquarela do Brasil" featured, in its first version, arrangements by Radamés Gnattali and the voice of Francisco Alves. It was also recorded by Rio-born Tom Jobim, for whom Ary was "a guru, a Brazilian genius."
Born in Ubá, in the state of Minas Gerais, the musician even started studying Law. A fan of the bohemian life, he didn't finish the course, but went on to commentate football matches. He worked at Rádio Tupi and made his name as a broadcaster, cheering enthusiastically for Flamengo's games, and for his toy harmonica, which he played every time a goal was scored at the stadium. On the radio, besides football, he also hosted the program
Freshman Hour
. On one of the recordings, he reportedly discovered young Elza Soares, exclaiming: "at this very moment a star is born!" A man of many talents, he was also a Rio city councilman and even hosted two television programs, the
Meeting with Ary
and the
Freshmen in Parade
.
As a musician, his most well-known and celebrated side, he
Mister Samba
Composed more than 200 songs and several masterpieces. A partner of Vinícius de Moraes, he was recorded by several artists such as Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, João Gilberto, Nara Leão, and Frank Sinatra. He was nominated for the Oscar for best original song, with the short film
Brazil
(1945), and composed soundtracks for Walt Disney and Carmen Miranda.
In that early February, hospitalized due to the cirrhosis that would kill him, he called journalist David Nasser to say goodbye. He was completely certain he was going to die: "How do you know?" Nasser asked. "They're playing my songs on the radio," he replied.
The composer used to say he dreamed of leaving to posterity "something that time could not destroy." He also left behind fond memories.
Image description: The image is a black-and-white newspaper page. At the top, there is a large headline about Ari Barroso's death during Carnival. Below, there are several subheadings and photos related to the 1964 Carnival. The first photo shows a figure dressed in a samba costume, followed by an image of a drum queen coming down a hillside. Next, there is a photo of a samba marathon with people dancing. After that, there is an image of police officers dispersing crowds. At the bottom, there is a photo of a ball gown and another of people at a party.Capa do jornal
Última Hora.
Destaque para para manchete a respeito da morte de Ary Barroso. Rio de Janeiro, 12 de fevereiro de 1964. Última Hora/ Hemeroteca Digital - Biblioteca Nacional, página 01