Astrud Gilberto, famous for her transcendent interpretation of the bossa nova classic, “The Girl from Ipanema” has died aged 83. Sofia Gilberto, the artist’s granddaughter, broke the news of her death on Instagram. “I’m here to bring you the sad news that my grandmother became a star today, and is next to my grandfather João Gilberto,” Sofia wrote. “She was a pioneer and the best. At the age of 22, she gave voice to the English version of “Girl from Ipanema” and gained international fame.” Paul Ricci, a New York-based guitarist who collaborated with Gilberto, also confirmed the news of Gilber ..read more

In the spring of 1961, the US Government was instrumental in changing the face of modern jazz. Guitarist Charlie Byrd was sent on a diplomatic tour of South America, with the idea that exporting culture could be a positive political tool. In this case, however, it was more a case of what Byrd brought back to America: Jazz Samba. Upon his return, Byrd met Stan Getz at the Showboat Lounge in Washington DC and later, at his home, played him some bossa nova records by João Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim that he had bought in Brazil. The next step was to convince Creed Taylor who had taken over ..read more

According to Horace Silver, “Dad played the violin, guitar, and mandolin, strictly by ear. He loved the folk music of Cape Verde…Occasionally, they would give a dance party in our kitchen on a Saturday night. They pushed the kitchen table into the corner of the room to make way for dancing, and Dad and his friends provided the music, playing and singing all the old Cape Verdean songs.” And all this is what would lead to Song For My Father, Silver’s outstanding album released in early 1964 on Blue Note Records. The LP was put down over three sessions, the first on October 31, 1963, the last on ..read more

To begin with, Sergio Mendes dreamed of becoming a classical pianist but ended up becoming one of the most popular Brazilian musicians – in so doing he helped to spread Latin jazz around the world. Moving to America in 1964, his timing was perfect as he caught the crest of the wave created by Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto and their album Getz/Gilberto. Mendes took the format of Brazilian Bossa Nova and created a warm, sun-soaked sound that sold in its millions and has influenced many artists over the years. Born in Niterói, part of greater Rio de Janeiro, in 1941 he began playing Bossa Nova in ..read more

Leny Andrade, often referred to as the first lady of Brazilian jazz or “the Ella Fitzgerald of Brazil,” died in Rio de Janeiro on Monday (24) of Lewy body dementia, at the age of 80. The news was shared with NPR by Eliana Peranzzetta, who had cared for Andrade for several years with her husband, arranger, and pianist Gilson Peranzzetta. Andrade played piano as a child, her 65-year career started in her mid-teens as a club singer. “When you sing as a crooner at bailes [dances], you learn a lot,” she said. “You have to sing in other idioms, various rhythms. I did this for three years, between f ..read more

João Donato, the Grammy-nominated Brazilian pianist whose recording career stretched back to 1951, has died at the age of 88. His passing was announced on his Instagram account and prompted Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to pay homage to the musician on Twitter. “Today we lost one of our greatest and most creative composers,” he wrote, adding: “João Donato saw music in everything. He innovated, he passed through samba, bossa nova, jazz, forró, and in the mixture of rhythm built something unique. He kept creating and innovating until the end.” Donato was born João Donato de Oliv ..read more

The self-titled 1969 album by Brazilian innovator Jorge Ben is available from today (26) on 150-gram black vinyl for the first time in the US. It comes in a tip-on jacket with its original Portuguese liner notes, and has been mastered from the original analog tapes. The album is noted for its role in helping to create Tropicália, one of the Brazilian styles that the widely influential Ben played a strong role in, along with bossa nova and Jovem Guarda. He had made his recording debut with 1963’s Samba Esquema Novo, the album that featured the original version of his composition ‘Mas que Nada ..read more

The song “The Girl From Ipanema” sold nearly five million copies worldwide, helped introduce bossa nova to the world beyond Brazil, and made a star of 24-year-old singer Astrud Gilberto when it was released as a single by Verve Records in May 1964. Gilberto, who was born on March 29, 1940, was not actually from Ipanema. She was born in Salvador, Bahia, in north-eastern Brazil, the daughter of Evangelina, a Brazilian, and Fritz, an immigrant professor. They named their daughter Astrud, after a goddess from Fritz’s native Germany. Fritz Weinert taught languages, and Astrud grew up to be fluent ..read more

1964 was a significant year for pop music. It not only witnessed the meteoric rise of the long-haired, guitar-toting beat groups, led by such pace-setting bands as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones – who started a trend of songwriting self-sufficiency – it also marked the arrival on the world stage of a new kind of jazz-infused music that blended sinuous, caressing melodies with subtle syncopated rhythms. The sound originated in Brazil and was called “bossa nova,” a description that translated into English as “new trend.” Listen to the best bossa nova songs on Apple Music and Spotify. Girl f ..read more

UMe and Verve have announced ‘Summer Samba!’, an audio and visual celebration of the timeless and influential sounds of samba and bossa nova, which begins with the first-ever official video for Stan Getz and João Gilberto’s legendary “The Girl From Ipanema.” The international hit that put bossa nova on the map and turned a young, inexperienced singer named Astrud Gilberto into a worldwide sensation, “The Girl From Ipanema” is an enduring and enchanting classic. Produced by Dreambear and animated by The Crocantes, the vivacious “The Girl From Ipanema” video bursts with vivid colors and brings ..read more