Astrud Gilberto, bossa nova icon, dead at 83
Brazilian bossa nova icon Astrud Gilberto has passed away aged 83. Gilberto was best known for recording the Grammy-winning single ‘The Girl From Ipanema’.
The hit song was recorded in 1964 and sold over a million copies. However, Gilberto was only booked to sing on the recording as a session musician and received $120 for her contribution to the track. After moving to the United States, she continued to tour the country and remained an important figure in the Latin scene.
In 1992, Gilberto received the Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement and ten years later, she was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. Her most recent album was 2002’s Jungle. No cause of death has been revealed, but her family have confirmed the news.
On Instagram, her granddaughter Sofia wrote: “My grandma Astrud Gilberto made this song for me, it’s called ‘Linda Sofia’. She even wanted my name to be Linda Sofia! Life is beautiful, as the song says, but I’m here to bring you the sad news that my grandmother became a star today, and is next to my grandfather João Gilberto”.
“Astrud was the true girl who took bossa nova from Ipanema to the world. She was a pioneer and the best. At the age of 22, she gave voice to the English version of ‘Girl from Ipanema’ and gained international fame.”
Sofia added: “The song, a bossa nova anthem, became the second most played in the world mainly because of her. I love and will love Astrud forever and she was the face and voice of bossa nova in most parts of the planet. Astrud will forever be in our hearts, and right now we have to celebrate Astrud.”
Despite her international fame following the success of ‘The Girl From Ipanema’, Gilberto had a complicated history with Brazil, and last played the country in 1965. Her son, Marcelo, told The Independent in 2022: “Brazil turned its back on her. She achieved fame abroad at a time when this was considered treasonous by the press.”
Listen to ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ below.
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