Astrud Gilberto sang the English version of the song “Garota de Ipanema” which became a worldwide hit – Credits: @Bettmann
The Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, one of the greatest exponents of bossa nova and largely responsible for the internationalization of the genre, died at the age of 83, as her granddaughter Sofia Gilberto reported on her social networks early Tuesday morning. “Astrud was the real girl who gave birth to Ipanema Bossa Nova. It was the pioneer and the best. At the age of 22, he voiced the English version of Garota de Ipanema and achieved international fame. The song, a bossa nova anthem, established itself as the second most played song in the world, specifically by her. “I love and will forever love Astrud, she has been the face and voice of bossa nova in most parts of the world,” wrote the singer’s granddaughter.
Born in Salvador de Bahia on March 29, 1940, to a Brazilian mother and German father, Astrud Evangelina Weinert was married to the bossa nova’s father, João Gilberto (1931–2019), between 1959 and 1964, whom she adopted the surname . A year after meeting him, he began his musical career and soon the two moved to the United States, where they produced the Getz/Gilberto album with Stan Getz.
This work, with arrangements by Tom Jobim, would catapult bossa nova to international fame and, with Astrud’s delicate voice, “The Girl from Ipanema” became a worldwide hit. The recording earned her a Grammy in 1965, the first to be awarded to a Brazilian artist. That year she was also nominated for Best New Artist, a category ultimately won by The Beatles.
The Getz/Gilberto album, one of the most influential in Brazilian music, also features Astrud’s voice hunchback, another of his most famous songs. The overwhelming success of this album may have surprised the young Astrud, who hadn’t recorded anything before. He made his musical debut in 1960 in a historic performance in Noite de amor, do sorriso e da flor, sharing the stage with Brazilian music heavyweights such as Nara Leão (a friend and patron of his musical career) and Dori Caymmi or Elza Soares .
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After her breakup with João Gilberto, Astrud embarked on a solo career during which she released 19 albums and won numerous international awards – Credits: @Donaldson Collection
After her breakup with João Gilberto, she embarked on a solo career, releasing 19 albums and winning numerous international awards. Before retiring in 2022, he had time to play almost all genres: he sang bossa nova, MPB (Brazilian pop music), jazz standards, as well as American and European classics, and he did it in several languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German, which probably made it better known outside Brazil than inside Brazil.
The news of his death had little repercussion in his home country and once again demonstrated a certain indifference towards bossa nova among Brazilians. considered within the country as an “export” genre, linked to foreigners’ expectations of Brazil rather than a genuine national identity.