Nestor Amaral

Origin

São Paulo, SP

Years Active

1930

Genres

MPB, samba, traditional pop

Instruments

vocals, acoustic guitar

Biography

Nestor Amaral was a notable Brazilian singer, guitarist, and composer whose career spanned from South America to the golden age of Hollywood. Beginning his professional journey in Brazil and Argentina, he gained significant prominence after joining the renowned vocal and instrumental group Bando da Lua, where he replaced the legendary guitarist Aníbal Augusto Sardinha, known as Garoto. His move to the United States in the 1940s alongside iconic star Carmen Miranda marked the beginning of an international career that popularized Brazilian music abroad during the era of the Good Neighbor Policy.

Contracted by 20th Century Fox, Amaral brought authentic Brazilian rhythms to American cinema, appearing in several major Hollywood productions alongside legendary figures like Ary Barroso and Carmen Miranda. His memorable film credits include Week-End in Havana, Springtime in the Rockies, The Gang's All Here—where he notably performed Ary Barroso's classic "Aquarela do Brasil"—and the Walt Disney animated feature The Three Caballeros. He also ventured beyond strictly Brazilian repertoire, collaborating with artists like Doris Day in Romance on the High Seas, where he dueted on the Oscar-nominated song "It's Magic".

Later in his career, Amaral continued to promote Latin American sounds internationally, releasing his album Holiday in Brazil under the moniker Nestor Amaral and His Continentals in 1957. Though he spent his later years residing in Los Angeles, California, his contributions left a lasting imprint on the overseas dissemination of Brazilian musical culture. He passed away in 1962 at the age of 48, leaving behind a legacy connected to contemporaries such as Aloysio de Oliveira and other members of the Bando da Lua.

Discography

• Corinna Mura With Nestor Amaral And José Oliveira – Buenos Noches / Samba Le Le (1945)
• Charles Wolcott And His Orchestra With Ray Gilbert And Nestor Amaral With Bando da Lua – The Three Caballeros: Music From The Walt Disney Production (1945)
• Joe Carioca, Nestor Amaral, The Kings of Samba – Braziliana (1959)
• Bando Carioca Featuring Nestor Amaral, José Oliveira – Baia / Nao Chore
• Bando Carioca Featuring Nestor Amaral, Jose Oliveira – Jucatada (Little Joe) / Holiday For Strings