Ary Barroso (1903 - 1964 - Minas Gerais) 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. [1]
His song, Aquarela do Brasil was used as the main theme of the 1985 film " Brazil".
He died of liver cirrhosis in 1964.