On Monday, Astrud Gilberto passed away at the age of 83. Gilberto was renowned for her soft, gentle vocal performance on “The Girl From Ipanema,” the first song she ever recorded. Her rendition of this song helped popularize the sway of Brazilian bossa nova in the United States during the 1960s. Gilberto’s son Marcelo announced her death via Facebook, however, no additional details have been disclosed.
Gilberto’s recording career spanned four decades, during which she recorded albums with prominent musicians such as James Last and Gil Evans. She also collaborated with Chet Baker, George Michael, and more. However, her most significant achievement came courtesy of “The Girl From Ipanema,” composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel.
At the time when Gilberto recorded this song, she was married to João Gilberto. Her husband, often referred to as the father of the bossa nova, was a Brazilian singer and guitarist. In 1963, they traveled from Rio de Janeiro to New York City for recording a joint album with renowned jazz saxophonist Stan Getz. Getz had already released three albums that fused jazz with samba and bossa nova.
Exactly how the idea of involving an untested singer like Gilberto came about for the album (later titled “Getz/Gilberto”) is unclear. Some credit Creed Taylor, the album’s producer, while others credit Gilberto herself. The singer, however, credited her husband.
In a 2002 interview for her official website, Gilberto recalled, “While rehearsing with Stan on the song ‘The Girl From Ipanema,’ Joao casually asked me to sing a chorus in English after he had just sung the first chorus in Portuguese.” Gilberto further elaborated, “Stan was very receptive. I’ll never forget that while we were listening back to the just recorded version, Stan said to me, ‘This song is going to make you famous.'”
A complete obituary will appear shortly.
