Astrud Gilberto, whose soft and sensual vocal performance on “The Girl From Ipanema,” the first song she ever recorded, helped make the Brazilian bossa nova a hit in the United States in the early 1990s. 1960, died on Monday. She was 83.
Paul Ricci, a musician and family friend, announced on Facebook that Marcelo, Gilberto’s son, said she had passed away and “requested this post.” He did not provide further details.
Mrs. Gilberto has had a recording career spanning four decades, recording albums with famous musicians such as James Last and Gil Evans as well as working with George Michael, Chet Baker and others. But her biggest success came with “The Girl From Ipanema,” written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa, with English lyrics by Norman Gimbel.
When Ms. Gilberto recorded that song, she was married to João Gilberto, the Brazilian singer and guitarist often considered the father of bossa nova. In 1963, the two of them traveled from Rio de Janeiro to New York City, where he was set to record a joint album with jazz saxophonist Stan Getz, who had released three albums that combined jazz with samba and bossa nova. .
It is not clear who exactly got the idea to invite Ms. Gilberto, an untested singer, to the album, which was later released under the title “Getz/Gilberto,” which is unclear. Some credit its producer, Creed Taylor; others trust Miss Gilberto. The singer herself gave credit to her husband.
“While rehearsing with Stan on ‘The Girl From Ipanema’, João casually invited me to join and sing a chorus in English after he had just sung the first chorus in Portuguese,” she said. Gilberto said in a 2002 interview for her official website. “Stan is very receptive. I will never forget that while we were listening to the re-recorded version, Stan said to me: ‘This song will make you famous.’”
A full obituary will appear shortly.
