Astrud Gilberto | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Gilberto performing in 1966 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Astrud Evangelina Weinert (1940-03-29)March 29, 1940 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil |
| Died | June 5, 2023(2023-06-05) (aged 83) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1963–2002 |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | João Gilberto,Stan Getz |
Spouse(s) | Nick Lasorsa(m. ca. 1966 – sep. ca. 1979)[1] |
| Website | astrudgilberto.com |
Astrud Gilberto (Portuguese:[asˈtɾudʒiwˈbɛʁtu]; bornAstrud Evangelina Weinert; March 29, 1940 – June 5, 2023) was a Brazilian and Americanbossa nova andsamba singer and songwriter. She gained international attention in the mid-1960s following her recording of the song "The Girl from Ipanema", for which she was awarded aGrammy in 1965. Astrud Gilberto went on to be a popular bossa nova singer in the United States and internationally, being particularly popular in Japan. Although the best-known part of her career was during the mid-1960s to early 1970s, she had a nearly 40-year career as a singer before retiring after the release of her last album in 2002. She died in her home in Philadelphia in 2023.
Astrud Gilberto was born Astrud Evangelina Weinert on March 29, 1940, inSalvador, Bahia. She was one of three daughters of a Brazilian mother, Evangelina Weinert (née Lobão), and a German immigrant father, Fritz Weinert. The naming of Astrud and her sisters Eda and Iduna were inspired byGermanic mythology.[2][3][4] Her father was a language teacher and taught German and English, and she became fluent in several languages.[2][5] He also had a minor reputation as a painter. Her mother played several instruments and ensured that Astrud was musically educated.[6] In 1947, the family relocated toRio de Janeiro, residing on theAvenida Atlântica in theCopacabana district. In her late teens, she studied at Rio's demandingColégio de Aplicação.[2][4]
By the late 1950s, she was part of a social circle of bohemian youths who made up the nascent bossa nova scene in Rio. In 1959, she met the Brazilian musicianJoão Gilberto through a friend, the singerNara Leão,[7] though other versions of the story say that it wasRonaldo Bôscoli who introduced João to Astrud at Leão's apartment, in a deliberate attempt to play matchmaker.[2] She was not impressed with him at first, but his singing and her own ambitions to become a singer won her over (not to mention that Astrud's mother was star-struck, considering him to be the greatest singer ever) and in early 1960 she married João.[2] The couple settled in an apartment on Rua Visconde de Pirajá inIpanema, where they soon awaited the birth of their son João Marcelo (b. 1960; full name João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira).[8]
Astrud and João Gilberto frequently sang together at gathering of friends, however, her debut public performance was on May 20, 1960 at Brazil's watershed bossa nova music festival,A noite do amor, do sorriso e da flor (The Night of Love, the Smile, and the Flower). The festival took its name from the lyrics ofAntônio Carlos Jobim andNewton Mendonça's song "Meditação", which had in turn lent its name to João Gilberto's just-released albumO Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor. The festival was held at the Faculdade de Arquitetura amphitheater (today the Teatro de Arena Carvalho Netto)[9] on theUFRJPraia Vermelha campus, and attracted an audience of 3000 people. The billing included numerous stars of the still-young bossa nova scene, with João Gilberto headlining. Astrud performed two songs alongside her husband, "Lamento" and"Brigas Nunca Mais", singing the lead vocals with João playing guitar and lending vocal harmonies. The performance was well received by the audience.[10][11][12]
João Gilberto had begun touring in the United States in 1962.[13] A landmark bossa nova concert atCarnegie Hall on November 21, 1962 led to an invitation for João andAntônio Carlos Jobim to record an album withStan Getz in New York City for theVerve label.[13][14] Astrud joined João on this trip, acting as his interpreter, as he spoke no English. The recording sessions took place on March 18-19, 1963.[15] On the second day of the recording,Norman Gimbel handed producerCreed Taylor English-language lyrics for "The Girl from Ipanema", a rough translation of the lyrics for the Jobim andVinicius de Moraes composition "Garota de Ipanema". After considering and dismissing the idea of recording the song separately as aSarah Vaughan vehicle,[16] Taylor settled on the idea of adding English-language vocals to the recording alongside João's Portuguese ones to enhance its marketability for an American audience.
Accounts vary as to exactly how Astrud was selected as vocalist on "The Girl from Ipanema".[15] It is generally agreed that João was unable to sing in English and Getz was not interested in doing the vocals.[13] According to Astrud Gilberto's own account, João said that he had a "surprise" in store for her during the session that day, and later had her sing the English lyrics during the first day's rehearsal, after which Stan Getz enthusiastically concurred on having her sing on the recording.[17] However, according to the account given by bossa nova historianRuy Castro, the idea was Astrud's, with João at first being hesitant about it, but warming up to the idea after hearing her sing.[13] Other accounts claim Stan Getz or Creed Taylor had the idea to have Astrud sing,[18][19] sometimes with the added claim that they had "discovered" her.[17] Once the song was recorded, Taylor and Getz found Astrud's accented and somewhat naive-sounding delivery to fit the theme of the song perfectly,[16] with Getz dramatically telling Astrud, "This song is going to make you famous".[17]
Based on the success of this recording, Taylor also had Astrud sing the English-language passage on an additional track, "Corcovado".[13][14] In spite of the being happy with the album they'd just recorded, Taylor, perceiving a glut of new bossa nova albums on the American market, delayed release of the album. It would finally be released a year after it was recorded, in March 1964, under the titleGetz/Gilberto.[14][15]
In the interim between the recording and release of the album, Astrud and João's marriage began falling apart. After accompanying her husband for part of his European tour in the summer of 1963, she returned alone to Rio in October.[20] João, who was suffering from amuscular atrophy in his right shoulder that was making it increasingly difficult to play guitar, traveled to Paris to consult with anacupuncturist there.[20][21] While in Paris, he took up with Heloísa Buarque (known professionally asMiúcha), a Brazilian student and sometimes singer then living in France. Initially hiring Buarque as his secretary, their involvement soon became a full-blown affair, which led to the couple's formal separation.[4][21]
Getz/Gilberto was released in March 1964, a year after it had been recorded, and was a major contributor to the already growing-popularity of bossa nova beyond Brazil. The production was financially successful for Stan Getz and João Gilberto: Getz made enough to buy a 20-room house, and João received $23,000 (about $240,000 in 2025 dollars)[22] as his first royalties after the release in early 1964. Astrud reportedly received $120 for the recording (about $1250 in 2025 dollars),[22] which was the usual fee for musicians for an evening's performance at the time.[3][6] Astrud Gilberto, is mentioned by name only in the cover text, but not listed among the musicians. Her whispery voice and steadfast approach to singing played a significant role in popularizing "The Girl from Ipanema", earning aGrammy Award for Record of the Year and a nomination forBest Vocal Performance by a Female.[6]
The 1964 edited single of "The Girl from Ipanema" omitted the Portuguese lyrics sung by João Gilberto, and established Astrud Gilberto as abossa nova singer. It sold over one million copies and was awarded agold disc.[23] According to writerGene Lees, Getz asked producerCreed Taylor to ensure she was paid no royalties on the single, which went on to sell more than five million copies.[6][24] It became one of the second most recorded song in the history of pop music.[25]
Saxophonist Stan Getz was enthusiastic about her performance onGetz/Gilberto and asked her to sing for his band. She relocated to the United States, as it would turn out, permanently, and toured extensive with Getz in 1964.[6] A live album from the tour,Getz Au Go Go, was released the same year, with Gilberto contributing vocals to most tracks. Gilberto and Getz also made musical appearances that same year in two films, thebeach party movieGet Yourself a College Girl and themade-for-television crime dramaThe Hanged Man. An affair began between Astrud Gilberto and the married Getz while on tour together in 1964,[26] which was reported on extensively by the Brazilian press. She later regretted her decision to tour with Getz, who mistreated her, and stated that she had done so because of dire financial need in the wake of her divorce. She described the experience as "tortuous".[6]
Astrud and João Gilberto's were finally divorced in December 1964,[27][Note 1] with the split officially announced at a specially arranged meeting and press conference by the newly-divorced couple, which took place on December 28, 1964 in Mexico. João also took the opportunity to announce his impending marriage to Miúcha.[28] The two would marry in 1965, and as had been the case with Astrud Gilberto, João and Miúcha would eventually begin performing together and Miúcha would go on to become a successful singer in her own right.[29] At the press conference, Astrud also stated that there was no truth to the rumors about a relationship with Frank Sinatra, and that she and Stan Getz were now going their separate ways, although they maintained a "good friendship".[28]
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Her first solo album wasThe Astrud Gilberto Album (1965) onVerve Records. She would go on to record eight more albums for the label by 1970. Beginning as a singer of bossa nova and American jazz standards, Gilberto branched out stylistically in the 1970s, with her albumNow (1972) featuring more contemporarymúsica popular brasileira andtropicália influences, covering artists such asJorge Ben andMilton Nascimento. Through her career, she would record songs in Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Japanese.[30]
In 1965, she performed inSão Paulo, her first performance in Brazil since relocating to the United States. She was well-received by her audience, but the Brazilian press treated her harshly. Gilberto never performed again in Brazil after this, though she's also stated that she continued to enjoy visiting Brazil as an incognito traveler rather than as a performer.[7]
In 1966, she married Nick Lasorsa, a widowed Philadelphia bar owner, with whom she had a second son, Gregory Lasorsa, settling inLower Merion Township in thePhiladelphia Main Line suburbs.[30][31] The marriage eventually ended in divorce. Gilberto resided on an off in the Philadelphia area for the remainder of her life, though she lived in New York City during much of the 1980s and 1990s.[30]
Following the release ofNow in 1972, her album releases became more sporadic. She continued performing live, typically concert dates in Europe and Japan. She did not typically perform in the United States, as most of the offers she received were for nightclub gigs, which was a venue she did not want to perform in at the time.[1] Her next album,That Girl from Ipanema, was released in 1977. The album features adisco version of "The Girl from Ipanema", as well as "Far Away", a duet withChet Baker.[32][33][34]
In 1980, following separation from her second husband, she overcame her aversion to performing at nightclubs and began performing on the club circuit, especially in New York City. She referred to this period as her "third life"[1] and relocated to New York City, buying an apartment inWest Village and living there for most of the 1980s and 1990s.[30]
In 1983, she collaborated with Japanese jazz trombonistShigeharu Mukai for the albumSo & So: Mukai Meets Gilberto, initially released only in Japan. In 1986, she collaborated with Germanbig band leaderJames Last on the albumPlus (Released in the United States asAstrud Gilberto Plus James Last Orchestra).[35]
In 1982, Gilberto's son Marcelo joined her group, touring with her for more than a decade as a bassist. He also served as herroad manager, sound technician and personal assistant. In 1990 Gilberto and her two sons, João Marcelo and Gregory Lasorsa, together established Gregmar Productions, Inc., a production company aimed at promoting Gilberto's music and developing new material.[6][36][37]
In 1996, she made several guest appearances with other artists, singing duets. The first was withGeorge Michael at his invitation, performing the bossa nova standard "Desafinado" on theAIDS benefit albumRed Hot + Rio.[6] She also sang a bilingual (in French and Portuguese) duet, "Les bords de Seine", with singerÉtienne Daho on his album,Eden. That same year,Pony Canyon, a Japanese label, issued a live album,Live in New York, followed by a studio album,Temperance, in 1997. Her son Gregory Lasorsa played guitar on one of the songs from the album, "Beautiful You".[3][7]
Gilberto's last foray into music was the 2002 albumJungle, released on her own label, Magya Productions.[30][35]
Although she did not officially retire, Gilberto announced in 2002 that she was taking "indefinite time off" from public performances.[6] In her later life, she was sometimes described as a recluse,[38] a label she disputed, saying that she was simply someone who had a high regard her privacy.[7]
In the early 2000s, Gilberto put together a website to stay in touch with her fanbase. Her website devoted a notable portion of its content toanimal rights advocacy.[7][39] She also briefly sold original artwork via the website. Updates to the website were infrequent after the mid-2000s.[citation needed]
A 2003 message posted to her website included the statement, "I’m not sure when or even if I will resume performing again, as I am enjoying a quieter life style these days, after 37 years of performing and traveling."[40] Gregory Lasora notes about her later life, "...once she stopped being an artist, she never wanted to be in the public eye again. She didn’t want to be Astrud Gilberto anymore."[30] Her website noted that she was "not available for any interviews of any kind, as a result of a long standing policy adopted by the artist."[41]
Astrud Gilberto died at home in Philadelphia, on June 5, 2023, aged 83.[3][4][25][37][42]
At the 7th Grammy Awards in 1965, the albumGetz/Gilberto was awarded "Album of the Year". However, the award went to Stan Getz and João Gilberto. For the single"The Girl from Ipanema", Astrud Gilberto received the Grammy jointly with Stan Getz. For the 8th Grammy Awards in 1966, she was nominated for, but did not win, the award for Best Female Vocal Performance forThe Astrud Gilberto Album.[43]
Gilberto received the Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1992, was inducted into theInternational Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2002, and was the recipient of theLatin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.[42][44]
Gilberto's original recording of "Fly Me to the Moon" was featured withFrank Sinatra's version on the soundtrack ofDown with Love (2003).[46][47] Her recording "Who Can I Turn To?" was sampled by theBlack Eyed Peas in the song "Like That" from their 2005 albumMonkey Business.[48] Gilberto's vocals on "Berimbau" were sampled byCut Chemist in his song "The Garden".[49] Her recording of "Once I Loved" was featured in the 2007 filmJuno.[50] OnBasia's 1987 debut album,Time and Tide, the track "Astrud" is a tribute to her idol Gilberto.[51][52]
Astrud, who was married to Joao Gilberto from 1959 until their divorce in December [1964]...
