Brazil - our international hymn

The field of Brazilian popular music can be traced back to the 1930s, when radio era spread songs across the country. This period also marks the beginning of a substantial predominance of women: from the divas of this radio era until our days, women sharply prevail as solo vocalists. By 2006, more than 100 discs of female interpreters were thrown. In the same period, there were only 34 from male interpreters. Well-known radio era artists include chanteuses Nora Ney, Dolores Duran, Maysa Matarazzo, Ângela Maria. Along with Carmen Miranda, Chiquinha Gonzaga, they were the pioneers of this feminine profile of the Brazilian Music that remains until present day.

Popular music included instruments like cuicas, tambourines, frying pans, flutes, guitars and the piano. The most famous singer, Carmen Miranda, eventually became an internationally-renowned Hollywood film star. Her songwriter was Ary Barroso, one of the most successful songwriters in early Brazil, along with Lamartine Babo and Noel Rosa.

Much of the hip hop, reggae and rock heard in Brazil speaks powerfully about the government and social standards. Music is used in a very powerful way, to get points across to people, or to relay messages across the country. It embodies many socialpolitical views of people, whether it's the artists or listeners view. However, the message being said by the artists have different meanings to each and every listener. Listeners construct their own meaning or message in a song.

Ary Barroso (November 7, 1903 in Ubá, Minas Gerais — February 9, 1964 in Rio de Janeiro) was an Academy Award-nominated Brazilian composer, pianist, soccer commentator, and talent-show host on radio and TV. He was Brazil's most successful songwriter in the first half of the 20th century.

Barroso's two best-known compositions are the sambas "Aquarela do Brasil" ("Brazil"), written in 1939, and "Na Baixa do Sapateiro" ("Bahia"), composed a year earlier. "Brazil" was featured in Saludos Amigos (1942) and "Na Bahia" in The Three Caballeros (1944) both Disney. The two songs became international hits, and have been recorded by hundreds of artists around the world. Among his major interpreters are Carmen Miranda and João Gilberto.

In 1945, his song "Rio de Janeiro", featured in the 1944 film Brazil, was one of the five finalists nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

His song, Aquarela do Brasil was used as the main theme of the 1985 film " Brazil".

He died of liver cirrhosis in 1964.