Acuarela do Brazil

Ary Barroso is generally considered to be Brazil's first great pop songwriter and he was the first samba composer to attain international fame. "Aquarela Do Brasil" (or "Brazil") is listed as one of the 20 most recorded songs of all time. It was given a singular honor when it was voted as the Brazilian song of the century in 1997 and is regarded by many as Brazil's "unofficial" national anthem.

Brazilian "samba" music emerged in the 19th century as part of pre-Lenten Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro. During the 1920s samba groups were organized into “schools” that would compete against one another during Carnival for prizes. "Samba", which also refers to an accompanying dance form, is of African descent with its percussion-dominated rhythms being traced back to religious possession dances.