Gil and Caymmi: From Fan to Family

Dorival Caymmi was the first of the Bahian musicians to taste success when, in 1939, Carmen Miranda burst onto the scene in Brazil and the US singing his song O Que é Que a Baiana Tem.

At that time, Gil was not born. As a child, he did not imagine that in the not-too-distant future he would have the chance to meet his idols on stage and in the recording studio.

As a teenager, Gil never even dreamed of meeting Dorival Caymmi, let alone marrying one of his daughters, Nana. However, once fully immersed in São Paulo's music scene, he found himself captivated by the female vocalist, and her deep voice.

He separated from his then wife, Belina, and set about cowriting the song Bom Dia with Nana. She would go on to perform the song at a festival in 1967. Their relationship did not last long, but their friendship endured, with Gil becoming even closer to Bahian master Dorival.

Dorival joined him on stage in the 1980s as a guest in one of his concerts. In 1991, Gil wrote a song in tribute to Dorival titled Buda Nagô, which he recorded with Nana for his album Parabolicamará.

Years after Caymmi's death, Gil once again paid tribute to him in an interview with the TV Globo journalist Pedro Bial: "It is only right that we credit Dorival Caymmi with the birth of Bahia as we know it today; a Bahia that has spread across the whole of Brazil...

"...Firstly, because he brought together all its most important aspects, starting with the Bahian people. He sang about Bahians by name—its places and its people...

"...He described those places in detail; their trades, their work, their loves. And that captivated the whole of Brazil."