Ary Barroso

Origin

Ubá, MG

Also known as

Ari Barroso

Years Active

1918–1964

Genres

samba, samba-exaltação, música popular brasileira

Instruments

piano

Biography

Ary Barroso was born in Ubá, Minas Gerais, in 1903, and established himself as one of the greatest composers of Brazilian popular music. He became world-famous for the samba-exaltação "Aquarela do Brasil" and became the first Brazilian nominated for an Oscar, with the song "Rio de Janeiro". Throughout his career, his songs were interpreted by major icons such as Carmen Miranda, who recorded dozens of his works, and Francisco Alves.

Orphaned at a very early age, he was raised by his grandmother and aunt, who taught him his first steps on the piano. He moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1920, where he intensely lived the carioca bohemian life, studied law, and began his musical career playing in cinemas and theaters. In partnership with Lamartine Babo and encouraged by Mário Reis, he built a solid artistic reputation, achieving enormous popular success in the 1930s and expanding his work to North American cinema with Walt Disney productions.

In addition to his facet as a composer and pianist, Ary Barroso worked as a sports announcer, radio host, and politician, having served as a city councilman in Rio de Janeiro. He passed away in 1964, leaving an immortal legacy that influenced generations of artists, including striking renditions by Elis Regina and Caetano Veloso, in addition to being the theme of tributes by samba schools such as Império Serrano.

Discography

• Ary Barroso Vol. 2 (1955)
• Encontro com Ary (Um "Bate Papo" Musical) (1955)
• Ary Barroso, Dorival Caymmi – Um Interpreta o Outro (1958)
• Autor: Ari Barroso - Intérprete: Claudia Moreno (1978)
• Grandes Autores (1989)
• Ary Barroso, Various – The Music Of Ary Barroso (1992)
• Ary Barroso, Various – Este É o Ary que Eu Gosto (1995)
• FOTOGRAFIA (2019)
• O Mais Brasileiro dos Brasileiros (2021)
• Clasicos (2021)
• Les idoles de la musique brésilienne : Ary Barroso, Vol. 2 (2022)
• Interpreta Suas Próprias Composições (2023)
• Samba-Exaltação (2024)
• Urban Pulse (2026)
• Urban Pulse - Rhythms and Sounds from the Roaring City (2026)
• Fantasia Carioca
• Ary Barroso Y Su Orquestra
• Meu Brasil Brasileiro