How João Gilberto's Music Sparked An Aesthetic Revolution
5 years, 6 months ago

How João Gilberto's Music Sparked An Aesthetic Revolution

NPR  

How João Gilberto's Music Sparked An Aesthetic Revolution toggle caption Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images From a casual distance, the music of João Gilberto sounds like it might belong to that ancient realm known as "easy listening." YouTube Those early recordings, particularly his 1958 take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Chega de Saudade/No More Blues," had a meteor-like impact on the musicians of Brazil; Gilberto's blend of whispering vocals and exactingly precise guitar accompaniment represented a radical break from the schmaltzy pop balladry on the radio at the time. The singer and songwriter Caetano Veloso, another legendary Brazilian singer and songwriter whose discography elaborates on Gilberto's basic themes, was even more effusive in an L.A. Times interview: "I owe João Gilberto everything I am today. "Rosa Morena" YouTube Typically, such a reduction of forces diminishes — but Gilberto's reduction had the opposite effect, opening up a new resonance for samba, using the form's rhythmic intensity to uncover hidden directions and nuances.

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History of this topic

On ‘João’, Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto honors her late father, bossa nova giant João Gilberto
1 year, 4 months ago

On ‘João’, Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto honors her late father, bossa nova giant João Gilberto

Associated Press  

SAO PAULO — Since the start of her career, New York-born Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto has put out albums rooted in the South American nation’s rich musical history. And yet, the 57-year-old artist, who splits her time between New York and Rio de Janeiro, is not too comfortable performing some of her father’s hit songs — such as “Fly, My …

From Brazil’s Amazon to bossa nova and beyond, prolific pianist João Donato dies at 88
1 year, 5 months ago

From Brazil’s Amazon to bossa nova and beyond, prolific pianist João Donato dies at 88

Associated Press  

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian composer and pianist João Donato, who helped lay the groundwork for bossa nova but throughout his career defied confinement to any single genre, died Monday. Donato’s syncopation influenced the guitar beat developed by João Gilberto that blossomed into the bossa nova movement. Music critic Irineu Franco Perpetuo said Donato’s music often features “hot” rhythms inviting …

Brazilian bossa nova pioneer Joao Gilberto dies at 88
5 years, 6 months ago

Brazilian bossa nova pioneer Joao Gilberto dies at 88

Associated Press  

RIO DE JANEIRO — Joao Gilberto, a Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter considered one of the fathers of the bossa nova genre that gained global popularity in the 1960s and became an iconic sound of the South American nation, died on Saturday, his son said. With his unique playing style and modern jazz influences, he created the beat that defined …

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