Composer / Pianist / Guitarist / Singer
Born: January 25, 1927
Died: December 8, 1994
While Brazil has enjoyed its share of huge international pop music festivals, the country, without question, is most remembered as the source of Bossa Nova, the smooth, sensuous distillation of the samba, wrought by the composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim with his international mega-hit, "The Girl from Ipanema," written with Vinicius De Moraes, English lyric by Norman Gimbel.
The song became the catalyst for a whole new movement of Brazilian-inspired music. In the United States, the music was closely associated with jazz, especially after Stan Getz recorded this song with Brazilian Astrud Gilberto. It would be accurate to suggest that Jobim, with his wonderfully catchy and romantic music, helped turn the cultural spotlight on Brazil during the 50's and 60's when the bossa nova "craze" first took hold, only to go on to become established as a permanent part of the American musical landscape. It has inspired and influenced several generations of performers, ranging from Sinatra to Sting, and beyond.
