Astrud Gilberto
1940 – 2023
Astrud Gilberto
(nee Weinhert), who has died aged
83, introduced the new Brazilian
sound of Bossa Nova to a global
audience in the 1960s. Bossa Nova
was and is a fusion of samba
rhythms with cool jazz guitar
sounds and attracted musicians
such as Antonio Carlos Jobim,
Sergio Mendes, Stan Getz and
Charlie Byrd. Although Astrud's
voice was lacking in dynamics and
range it perfectly suited the
sexy and sophisticated Latin
American songs that, when
translated into English,
attracted worldwide appeal. Her
first major hit single The
Girl From Ipanema (composed
by Jobim) was taken from the 1964
album Getz/Gilberto featuring
Stan Getz on alto sax and
Brazilian guitarist Joao
Gilberto, whom Astrud had married
in 1960. She sang on only one
other track, Corcovado. The
Girl From Ipanema was later
covered by a multitude of artists
ranging from Frank Sinatra to
Placido Domingo and Amy
Winehouse. Astrud scored further
success with Fly Me To The
Moon, Summer Samba (So
Nice) and Desafinado,
meaning Slightly Out Of Tune
- a description that might well
be attributed to her voice. She
was awarded a Lifetime
Achievement Grammy by the Latin
Recording Academy in 2008.
© Anthony
Wills
|
