Writer of "Yes, We Have Bananas" and 500 more Carnival songs dead at 99

Braguinha, who penned some of Brazil's most famous Carnival songs, died on Sunday, December 24, in Rio de Janeiro from multiple organ failure brought on by a generalized infection. Braguinha, whose full name was Carlos Alberto Ferreira Braga, was born on March 29, 1907, in Rio de Janeiro. While he was studying architecture, the young Braga began writing songs under the pseudonym "João de Barro," his father not wanting the family name associated with samba and popular music. In 1930, Braga, in partnership with Henrique Brito as Bando de Tangarás, scored his first big hit with "Na Pavuna." Braga was active during Carnival's golden era of the 1930s and '40s, singing and composing more than 500 songs, including "Yes, Nos Temos Bananas," "Copacabana," and "Carinhoso," one of the most recorded songs in Brazilian history. He was 99.

Sources: Associated Press, Wikipedia, ArtistDirect.com