Dorival Caymmi, 94, Brazilian Composer

Brazilian composer and singer Dorival Caymmi, who catapulted to fame when Carmen Miranda performed one of his songs in 1938, died Saturday in São Paolo, Brazil. He was 94.

Caymmi's lyrics were inspired by the beautiful women and folklore of the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, where he was born.

A deep, velvety voice also helped make him one of the country's most beloved artists.

"His music is part of the nation's cultural heritage," the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said Saturday in a statement.

During his 60-year career, Caymmi made close to 20 records and composed more than 100 songs, including "O que e que a Baiana tem," which was immortalized by Miranda.

His song "Das Rosas" was translated into English as "And Roses and Roses" by the American lyricist Ray Gilbert and sung by Andy Williams and Perry Como, among others.

Born in Salvador, Bahia, in 1914, Caymmi moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1937. In 1940, while taking part in a local radio station's amateur hour show, he met the singer Stella Maris, whom he married the same year.