Dorival Caymmi

Origin

Salvador, BA

Also known as

Caymmi

Years Active

1930–2008

Genres

samba, samba-canção, MPB, beach music, bossa nova

Instruments

acoustic guitar, voice

Biography

Dorival Caymmi was one of the central and most influential figures of Brazilian popular music in the 20th century. Born in Salvador, Bahia, he grew up immersed in a musical environment, influenced by his amateur musician father and his mother who sang domestic songs. From an early age, Caymmi demonstrated a singular talent for translating the Bahian soul into verses and melodies, starting his career at local radio stations before leaving for Rio de Janeiro in 1938. His journey aboard an 'ita' ship not only took him to the federal capital but also served as inspiration for a poetic imagery that would celebrate the sea and the lives of fishermen.

Definitive consecration came through his indirect collaboration with Carmen Miranda, for whom he composed 'O que é que a baiana tem?'. The song not only defined the iconic image of the 'Pequena Notável' (Notable Little One) abroad but also established Caymmi as a master in the creation of sambas and beach songs. His work is marked by a minimalist style on the acoustic guitar and a deep basso-cantante voice, evoking sensuality, the religiosity of Candomblé—he being a 'filho de santo' of Mãe Menininha do Gantois—and the simple daily life of the Bahian people.

Over the decades, his compositions such as 'Maracangalha', 'Marina', and 'Saudade da Bahia' became absolute classics, re-recorded by generations of performers, from Gal Costa to Maria Bethânia. Caymmi was also the patriarch of a musical dynasty, as the father of Nana, Dori, and Danilo Caymmi, all renowned artists. His legacy transcended music, influencing the emergence of Bossa Nova and being honored by samba schools such as Estação Primeira de Mangueira, consolidating his position as the great musical chronicler of Bahia and one of the pillars of Brazil's cultural identity.

Discography

• Canções Praieiras (1954)
• Sambas (1955)
• Caymmi e o Mar (1957)
• Eu Vou pra Maracangalha (1957)
• Ary Barroso, Dorival Caymmi – Um Interpreta o Outro (1958)
• Jorge Amado, Dorival Caymmi – Canto de Amor à Bahia e Quatro Acalantos de "Gabriela Cravo e Canela" (1958)
• Caymmi e Seu Violão (1959)
• Eu Não Tenho Onde Morar (1960)
• Dorival Caymmi & Tom Jobim – Caymmi Visita Tom e Leva Seus Filhos Nana, Dori & Danilo (1964)
• Caymmi And The Girls From Bahia – Caymmi (1965)
• Vinicius / Caymmi com o Quarteto em Cy e o Conjunto Oscar Castro Neves – No Zum Zum (1965)
• The Girls From Bahia & Dorival Caymmi – Saudade de Brasil (1968)
• Caymmi (1972)
• Caymmi Também É de Rancho (1973)
• Setenta Anos (1984)
• Caymmi · Som Imagem Magia (1985)
• Dori, Nana, Danilo & Dorival – Família Caymmi (1987)
• Dorival Caymmi, Nana Caymmi, Danilo Caymmi – Família Caymmi em Montreux (1991)
• Caymmi In Bahia (1994)
• O Bem do Mar ao Vivo (1999)
• O que É que o Baiano Tem (2011)
• Saudade da Bahia (2014)
• Promessa de Pescador (2018)
• FOTOGRAFIA (2019)
• O Mar (2019)
• Saudade da Bahia 1957 (2020)
• Sambas Y Canções - Dorival Caymmi 1954-55 (2020)
• Quem vem pra beira do mar (2020)
• Brazilian Classics (2021)
• Maracangalha (2021)
• O Mar Y O Vento - 1959 (2021)
• O Vento (2022)
• O Mar e o Vento (2022)
• Poeta Popular (2024)
• Minha História