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Caymmi, the Man Who Best Sang Brazil's Seas, Is Dead at 94
Written by Cristiane Ribeiro
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Brazilian composer and singer from Bahia Dorival Caymmi died this Saturday, August 16, in Rio de Janeiro, at the age of 94. Caymmi had been treating a bladder cancer for 11 years and died of renal failure around 6 am, at his apartment, in Copacabana, in Rio's south side.
In his 60 years of career, Caymmi wrote songs about habits, customs and traditions of his fellow Baianos (people from the northeastern state of Bahia). In his songs he demonstrated his reverence for the sea and nature. Despite the Baiano spirit - Baianos are said to be laid-back and lazy - he still recorded more than 20 albums.
Danilo Caymmi, the composer's son, who is also a composer, talked about his father's death. According to Danilo, Dorival died "peacefully, baianamente (like a Baiano) like he used to say."
He also told reporters that his mother and Dorival's wife, Stela Maris, has been in a coma in the hospital for the last three months. "Our family is going through very tough times," he said.
Dori Caymmi, another son composer, heard about the father's death during an overseas tour and is rushing back to Brazil.
Dorival Caymmi's body is being watched over in Rio's City council building, in Cinelândia, downtown Rio de Janeiro. The funeral will be tomorrow , August 17, in the São João Batista cemetery in the Botafogo neighborhood. That's the same place where other celebrities have been buried like composer Antonio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994), filmmaker Glauber Rocha (1938-1981) and Brazil's Aviation Father, Alberto Santos Dumont (1873-1932).
Among Caymmi's most popular compositions we can mention "O Que É Que a Baiana Tem," which was immortalized by Carmen Miranda in the Banana da Terra movie (1939), "A Lenda do Abaeté," "Promessa de Pescador," "É Doce Morrer no Mar," "Marina," "Não Tem Solução," "Maracangalha," "Saudade de Itapoã," "Samba da Minha Terra," "Dora," "Rosa Morena" e "Eu Não Tenho Onde Morar."
Dorival Caymmi - "O que é que a Baiana tem"
Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, released a note talking about how sad he was to hear the news of the composer's death:
"Dorival Caymmi is one of the founders of the Brazilian popular music, patriarch of a lineage of talented musicians. His beach songs and his sambas-canção are a patrimony of the national culture. He shone and innovated as composer, musician and singer.
"His music is a thorough translation of Bahia. It was with sadness that I heard the news of his death. My sincere condolences to his wife Stella Maris and to his children Nana, Dori and Danilo. His work will remain always alive in Brazilians' memory, enlightening all of us with the grace and happiness of his songs."
Rio de Janeiro state governor, Sérgio Cabral, declared a three-day official mourning in the state. Rio's mayor, César Maia, said, in a note, that he laments the death of Dorival Caymmi and announced that he is going to pay homage to the musician naming a street in Leblon, in Rio's south side, after him.
In the note, Maia also said that Caymmi was "the most Carioca of Baianos," who chose Rio de Janeiro as his place to live and to die.
Brazilian composer and singer from Bahia Dorival Caymmi died this Saturday, August 16, in Rio de Janeiro, at the age of 94. Caymmi had been treating a bladder cancer for 11 years and died of renal failure around 6 am, at his apartment, in Copacabana, in Rio's south side.
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