Dorival Caymmi
Actor · 1914 – 2008 · Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Dorival Caymmi (Salvador, April 30, 1914 – Rio de Janeiro, August 16, 2008) was a Brazilian singer, composer, instrumentalist, poet, painter and actor, active for more than 70 years, beginning in 1933. He contributed to the birth of Brazil's bossa nova movement, and several of his samba pieces, such as "Samba da Minha Terra", "Doralice" and "Saudade da Bahia", have become staples of música popular brasileira. Equally notable are his ballads celebrating the fishermen and women of Bahia, including "Promessa de Pescador", "O Que É Que a Baiana Tem?", and "Milagre". Caymmi composed about 100 songs in his lifetime, and many of his works are now considered to be Brazilian classics. Both Brazilian and non-Brazilian musicians have covered his songs. Ben Ratliff of The New York Times wrote that Caymmi was "perhaps second only to Antônio Carlos Jobim in 'establishing a songbook of [the 20th] century's Brazilian identity." Throughout his career, his music about the people and culture of Bahia influenced Brazil's image in the eyes of both Brazilians and foreigners. Caymmi was married to Brazilian singer Stella Maris for 68 years, and the couple's children, Dori, Danilo, and Nana, are also prominent musicians. Each debuted professionally by accompanying Caymmi onstage and in recordings. In 2014, Caymmi's granddaughter Alice also began a musical career. Caymmi was born in Salvador, Bahia, to Durval Henrique Caymmi, the great-grandson of an Italian immigrant, and Aurelina Soares Caymmi, a native Bahian. He had two younger sisters, Dinahir and Dinah, and a younger brother, Deraldo. His father, a civil servant, often played the piano, guitar, and mandolin at home, and his mother, a housewife, sang regularly. He participated in his church's choir for much of his childhood. At age 13, he left school to work as a journalist at Bahian newspaper O Imparcial. When O Imparcial went out of business two years later, he took up work as a street vendor. Although he never formally studied music, Caymmi taught himself to play guitar in the late 1920s and began to compose, sing, and play his own songs on Bahian radio programs around 1930. He first achieved widespread recognition in 1933, when he composed the song "O Que É Que a Baiana Tem?" ("What Is It About Bahian Women?") for singer Carmen Miranda. In 1936, at age 22, he won a songwriting contest at Salvador's annual Carnaval celebration. His prize was a pink satin lampshade. Despite his early musical success, he moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1938 with intentions to pursue a law degree and to return to working as a journalist. While employed there by the newspaper Diários Associados, he spent his spare time composing and singing songs on the radio show Dragão da Rua Larga. His popularity began to grow with the show's audience. ... Source: Article "Dorival Caymmi" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Movies18
Movie7.0DocumentaryMusicDocumentary about samba musician from Bahia Clementino Rodrigues, aka Riachão.
Samba Riachão
2001 · 1 votes
Movie8.0DocumentaryMusicBetween August 23 and 31, 1983, at the "Circo Massimo", in Rome, there was a musical event that brought together artists from Bahia. This film brings a recording of the event, also featuring backstage, rehearsals, testimonies and some relaxing moments of these great names in Bahia's music.
Bahia de Todos os Sambas
1996 · 2 votes
Movie5.8DocumentaryThe life of a famous Brazilian film and television actor, including testimonials from people who knew him and worked with him, as well as excerpts from films and videos in which he acted.
Paulo Gracindo - O Bem Amado
2009 · 2 votes
MovieDocumentaryThe friendship between Jorge Amado, Dorival Caymmi, and Carybé, artists who were largely responsible for creating an image of the culture of Bahia that persists to this day, and who believed that the strength of their work lay in documenting what they saw on the streets.
3 Obás de Xangô
2025
MovieDocumentaryThe film reveals the creation of poet Dorival Caymmi's musical works with testimonies from researchers, journalists and friends who lived with him and were able to enjoy his wisdom and talent.
Movie7.5DocumentaryThrough folklore manifestations and diverse artistic expressions, the film is a document that exalts and honors the Bahian culture.
MovieDocumentaryAn irresistible journey through the universe of the singer and composer that revolutionized the song in Brazil and influenced generations of musicians, paving the way for movements such as Bossa Nova and Tropicália.
- MovieDocumentary
Brazilan writer Jorge Amado and his everyday life.
Movie7.0DramaEstrela da Manhã
1950 · 1 votes
Movie7.0DocumentaryMusicDorival Caymmi was one of the inventors of the Bahian imagination. In his 94 years of life, Caymmi composed, sang, wrote, illustrated and thought about his Bahia, even far from it. His family, partners, friends and fans remember his history, which made him one of the pillars of Brazilian culture.
Dê Lembranças a Todos
2018 · 1 votes
Movie6.0DramaInspired by the classic novel by Brazilian cultural icon Jorge Amado, this is the story of a gang of homeless children lead by Pedro Bala. Set in Bahia, the film follows the adventures of Bala's gang of under aged outlaws as they steal, rape, find love, "capoeira" (a Brazilian form of martial arts) and African-Brazilian religion.
The Sandpit Generals
1972 · 10 votes
Movie6.3DramaChronicles the life of a 17 year-old girl living in the upper-class Rio de Janeiro neighbourhood of Ipanema. Márcia lives a life of parties and spend her days among bohemians, musicians and intellectuals. While seeming happy in the outside, she's extremely anguished inside. Based on the famous song by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes.
Movie7.0DocumentaryUm Certo Dorival Caymmi
2002 · 2 votes
Movie9.0ComedyMusicA man in charge of a publicity campaign for bananas decides to kidnap the Queen of 'Bananaland', a tropical island paradise, and take her to Rio, where she falls in love with a member of Carmen Miranda's backing ensemble, 'Bando da Lua'.
Banana-da-Terra
1939 · 1 votes
Movie10.0DocumentaryMusicSinger, composer, actor and painter, Dorival Caymmi was a multiple artist, but what they may not know is his pioneering work in introducing candomblé into Brazilian popular music. Recreating in a poetic way concepts present in Caymmi's work and life, the documentary revelation of the artist from his own lines, mined in old magazines.
Dorivando Saravá, o Preto Que Virou Mar
2019 · 1 votes
Movie6.4DocumentaryA film essay about Brazil discovered through Orson Welles' eyes during the shooting of It's All True.
Movie7.7MusicDocumentaryJoão Gilberto receives Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia during the recording of his album Brasil.
Brasil
1981 · 8 votes
Movie5.0FantasyA fragmented style, patchwork of interviews with Caetano Veloso's friends, mixed with conversations, thoughts, scenes of dance and literature excerpts.
Series2
TV8.0Talk ShowNewsLe Grand Échiquier is a French variety television program created and presented by Jacques Chancel. It aired at 8:30 pm on the first channel of the ORTF from January 12, 1972 to July 12, 1972, then on the second color channel of the ORTF from September 1972 to December 1974, and finally on Antenne 2 from January 1975 to December 21, 1989. The program returned to France 2 on December 20, 2018 and is hosted by Anne-Sophie Lapix.
Le Grand Échiquier
1972 · 3 votes
TV7.7SoapDramaA successful businesswoman in the music industry sees her life fall apart after a young and mysterious woman starts work as her secretary. The scheming girl is totally obsessed by the famous businesswoman and she tries to steal everything from her, including her career.