Statue of Dorival Caymmi
“Anyone who doesn’t like samba isn´t a good person/Either they’re out of their mind or they have a lame foot.” The author of one of the most defining verses of our popular music, Dorival Caymmi, also created a musical genre – canção praiana (beach song), which continues to influence icons of Brazilian music.
Caymmi was one of the greatest figures of the “Golden Age” of Brazilian radio, both as a singer and a composer which was unusual at that time. His music shaped the imagination of the population, capturing the simplicity of coastal life. Simplicity and sophistication, in fact, are defining attributes of Caymmi. As his son, Danilo, put it, he was “a man who knew how to use simplicity like no one else.” Or, as Dorival himself once wrote in a page of his notebook, according to Danilo, “passo a passo, passando, passo” (step by step, passing by, I pass) which practically sums up the way he lived his life.
Dorival Caymmi, 80 years old, in his apartment, in the neighborhood of Copacabana. Olavo Rufino, 1994. Instituto Antônio Carlos Jobim/Dorival Caymmi Collection
Caymmi was born in 1914 in the city of Salvador. Although Dorival masterfully captured the beauty of Bahia in his compositions, he spent most of his life in Rio de Janeiro and it was there that he saw his music reach the world. In 1938, just before his 24th birthday, he boarded an Ita (a ship from the Companhia Costeira that operated cabotage transport along the Brazilian coast) and left his hometown. Along with his clothes, he took his guitar.
In 1939, the year following his arrival in Rio de Janeiro, Caymmi achieved success when he recorded “O Que É Que a Baiana Tem?” with Carmen Miranda. The song was featured in the film Banana da Terra (1939), starring the singer. Caymmi’s meeting with Carmen Miranda was transformative for both of them. It is said that the iconic hand and arm movements that define Carmen’s performances were a suggestion made by Caymmi.
The first place he lived in Rio de Janeiro was a boarding house for students and workers on Rua São José, in the city center. Shortly after arriving, he went for a car ride with a cousin through Copacabana and instantly fell in love. He adored being by the sea, in a neighborhood that reminded him of Bahia, with its beach, the fishing colony at Posto 6, and the Iemanjá celebrations. He lived on Rua Souza Lima and later moved to a building called Adriano de Barros, at 198, Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana, on the corner of Rua Ronald de Carvalho, in Copacabana, where he lived for the rest of his life.
In an interview, when asked, “Why the great love for Copacabana?” he replied: “Copacabana represents so many important things, many solid friendships. Its landscape is unusual – it has mysteries that enchant you. I love the shoreline, especially Posto 6, which I think is the most beautiful spot on the beach.”
O Globo newspaper, 14 August, 1989.
Dorival Caymmi immortalized his love for the neighborhood in the song Sábado em Copacabana (Saturday in Copacabana), featuring the lyrics:
“After working all week long / I´m not going to waste my Saturday / I’ve already planned my night / And I know just where to start / A great place to meet / Copacabana / To stroll along the shore / Copacabana / Then at a dimly lit bar / Copacabana.”
And this is best location for the life-sized bronze statue that immortalized Dorival Caymmi (approximately 1.80m tall and weighing nearly 300kg). The piece was unveiled on 11 December, 2008, just a few months after the singer died. It was created by Rio-born artist Otto Dumovich, who is also responsible for other statues throughout the city: Braguinha (in Copacabana), Cartola (in Mangueira), and Pixinguinha (in Travessa do Ouvidor, downtown).
Caymmi on the boardwalk, in 1997. Evandro Teixeira/AJB.
The photo was the basis for creating the statue. It shows Dorival walking with his guitar along the Copacabana boardwalk near Posto 6 and was taken by the renowned photographer Evandro Teixeira in the late 1990s. Otto Dumovich stylized Dorival’s movement, capturing him in a joyful stride with his body slightly tilted. His left hand appears not only to be giving a friendly wave but also seems to dance samba. However, Otto stayed true to Dorival’s typical attire – no suit and tie, just loose, comfortable clothing.
There really is no better place in Rio de Janeiro to honor Dorival Caymmi. As well as being “the most beautiful spot on the beach,” Posto 6 is also home to a traditional group of fishers, who Caymmi often chatted with and where he bought fresh fish. In addition to the tourists who frequently stop to take a photo with the statue, it’s not uncommon during Carnival, for musicians and revelers to pay tribute to one of the Bahian artists who most embraced Rio.
