About
The consensus seems to be that if Antonio Carlos Jobim created Bossa Nova,
Joao Gilberto created Bossa Nova as we know it. Known for his flat and nasal
- but always in tune - singing, Gilberto's cool, intimate style reverberates
to this day: listen to contemporary Bossa Nova singers like Celso Fonseca
and Cibelle, and you'll hear echoes of Gilberto. His story is no less
entrancing than his music: obsessed with music from an early age, he sought
his fortune as a singer and then fell into a ten-year depression that led to
an itinerant, pot-smoking lifestyle. If he hadn't pulled out of the rut,
Bossa Nova would be very different. But he did pull out, and decided to move
away from that den of vice, Rio. Newly sober, Gilberto proceeded to develop
his trademark style - reportedly in his sister's bathroom - and drew growing
crowds to clubs in Porto Alegre. It was just a matter of time before Tom
Jobim took notice, and Gilberto was traveling to the United States for the
most fruitful collaborations of his career - with American saxophonist Stan
Getz. Their signature collaboration "Getz/Gilberto" is a perennial
bestseller, and Joao's wife Astrid sang the definitive version of
uber-classic "The Girl From Ipanema."
- Sarah Bardeen
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.