Bossa Nova legend Joao Gilberto dies at 88

Brazil is in mourning. Joao Gilberto, the Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist known around the world as the father of bossa nova, died last July 6 in his beloved city of Rio de Janeiro. The name may not ring a bell among the music lovers of today’s generation but the legendary musician not only popularized the bossa nova and jazz combination, he also changed the once prejudicial opinion that jazz albums do not sell. They did sell big when Gilberto was one of the artists involved. 

Gilberto was born to a well-to-do family in Bahia, Brazil. He ran away from home at the age of 16 to pursue his music. It was while on that life on the road sleeping and performing wherever he could that Gilberto developed his unique playing style. That and his love for jazz led to his experimental move to combine jazz with the Brazilian samba. His first recording of the style with his own composition Bim-Bom marked the birth of the bossa nova.

But it was with the landmark Getz/ Gilberto album that Gilberto, and with him bossa nova broke out of Brazil and was warmly embraced everywhere. The American saxophonist Stan Getz was so enamored of the music that he began recording his own versions of the Brazilian hit songs. It was during the early ‘60s that he took steps to make his recordings, shall we say “authentic,” and he invited Gilberto to record an album with him.

The result was the Getz/ Gilberto, which is credited with popularizing the bossa nova beat internationally. Now, a pop music classic, it features the four best-known proponents of the genre. Gilberto played the guitars, Stan Getz was on sax, Antonio Carlos Jobim was a composer and pianist and the very young Astrud Gilberto, who was then married to Joao, was on vocals. 

Released in 1964, the Getz/ Gilberto is today considered one of the greatest albums of all time. It is included in the famous list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery. It is also the best and most enduring proof that a music album can conquer critics, win awards and also become a big seller, even if it is jazz.

The Getz/ Gilberto features songs in both English and Portuguese, most of which were composed by Jobim. These are The Girl From Ipanema, Doralice, Para Machucar Meu Coracao, Desafinado, Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars), So Danco Samba, O Grande Amor and Vivo Sonhando. And by the way, Phil Ramone, who went on to more hits as a rock music producer, was the recording engineer.

Astrud, whose whispered singing style was emulated by so many Pinoy singers and non-singers of the time, sang in two tracks, The Girl From Ipanema and Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars). These became the biggest-selling singles from the album. The Girl From Ipanema was named Record of the Year at the 1965 Grammy Awards. Getz/ Gilberto also won for Best Jazz Instrumental or Vocal Album, Best Engineered Recording, which went to Ramone, and the most coveted Grammy of all, Best Album of the Year. It was the first jazz album to win the award.

The Getz/ Gilberto was followed by other albums and other hits. A very good one is the live recording Getz/ Gilbert’s 76 where the two geniuses performed their music best. But still, it was not quite like that time 55 years ago when all the stars came together for one glorious bossa nova moment and made music for the ages.

Getz would later devote his career to teaching and helping young musicians, most of them jazz saxophonists. He died on June 6, 1991 of liver cancer. Jobim is acknowledged as the greatest bossa nova jazz composer and pianist of all time. He performed actively until his death of cardiac arrest on Dec. 8, 1994.

As for Astrud, she divorced Gilberto and confidently embarked on a successful singing career in the US of A after the success of Getz/ Gilberto. The album was her singing debut. Among her later hits were A Certain Sadness, Agua de Beber, Meditation, How Insensitive, So Nice (Summer Samba), Call Me, Here’s That Rainy Day and Dindi. She is now 79 years old and still performs once in a while.