João Gilberto

Biography

João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira (, ZHWOWN zhil-BAIR-toh; Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒuˈɐ̃w ʒiwˈbɛʁtu du ˈpɾadu peˈɾejɾɐ dʒi oliˈvejɾɐ]; 10 June 1931 – 6 July 2019) was a Brazilian guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer who was a pioneer of the musical genre of bossa nova in the late 1950s. Around the world, he was often called the "father of bossa nova"; in his native Brazil, he was referred to as "O Mito" (The Myth).
In 1965, the album Getz/Gilberto was the first jazz record to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It also won Best Jazz Instrumental Album – Individual or Group and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Gilberto's Amoroso was nominated for a Grammy in 1978 in the category Best Jazz Vocal Performance. In 2001 he won in the Best World Music Album category with João voz e violão×João voz e violão1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Desde que o samba é samba3:552Você vai ver2:563Eclipse3:044Não vou pra casa2:565Desafinado3:286Eu vim da Bahia2:347Coração vagabundo2:098Da cor do pecado2:299Segredo3:1510Chega de saudade3:26.

Early life

João Gilberto was born in Juazeiro, Bahia, the son of Joviniano Domingos de Oliveira, a wealthy merchant, and Martinha do Prado Pereira de Oliveira. He lived in his native city until 1942, when he began to study in Aracaju, Sergipe, returning to Juazeiro in 1946. At the age of 14, Gilberto got his first guitar from his grandfather despite disapproval from Gilberto's father. Still in Juazeiro, he formed his first band, called "Enamorados do Ritmo". Gilberto moved to Salvador, Bahia, in 1947. During his three years in the city, he dropped out of his studies to dedicate himself exclusively to music and at the age of 18 began his artistic career as a crooner at the Rádio Sociedade da Bahia.

Career

Gilberto's first recordings were released in Brazil as two-song, 78 rpm singles between 1951 and 1959. In the 1960s Brazilian singles evolved to the "double compact" format, and Gilberto released some EPs in this new format, which carried four songs on a 45 rpm record. In 1956, he returned to Rio, having lived there some years from 1950 onward, and struck up old acquaintances, most significantly with Antônio Carlos Jobim, who was by then working as a composer, producer and arranger with Odeon Records. Jobim was impressed with Gilberto's new style of guitar playing and set about finding a suitable song to pitch the style to Odeon management.
In 1963, Gilberto collaborated with American jazz musician Stan Getz on the album Getz/Gilberto which was released the following year. Jobim played the piano for the album while Gilberto's then-wife Astrud performed the vocals in English while he sang in Portuguese. Although Astrud Gilberto was only in the recording studio to be with her husband, João Gilberto requested her to sing on several of the tracks as he could not sing in English. This resulted in a duet between the two on the track "The Girl from Ipanema×The Girl From Ipanema1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Eu e você2:222O nosso amor / A felicidade3:033Maria vai com as outras4:044Hȏ-bá-lá-lá2:145Corcovado2:306Catende5:037Marina2:258Brigas, nunca mais2:059Only Trust Your Heart4:2510Das rosas3:1711Saudade fez um samba1:4512It Might as Well Be Spring4:1913Cantador2:3414Se é tarde me perdoa1:4515Telephone Song1:5216Chove la fora2:1217The Girl From Ipanema6:01" which became a major hit from the album. At the 7th Annual Grammy Awards, Getz/Gilberto won three awards including Album of the Year, which marked the first time a jazz album received the accolade.
Gilberto was known for his demanding acoustic and noise-control standards. During a recording session of the song "Rosa Morena×Rosa MorenaStudio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 29 tracks1Rosa Morena2:042O Amor Em Paz2:223Saudade Fez um Samba1:454Hó Bá Lá Lá Lá2:155Chega de Saudade2:026Aos Pés da Cruz1:357E Luxo Só1:578Desafinado1:579Insensatez2:2410Coisa Mais Linda2:5011Você e Eu2:3012A Primeira Vez1:5213Este Seu Olhar2:1314Samba de Minha Terra2:2215Saudade da Bahia2:1716Trenzinho (Trem de Ferro)1:5017Manhã de Carnaval2:3818Corcovado1:5819Um Abraço No Bonfá1:3820Doralice1:2721O Pato1:5922A Felicidade2:5223Só Em Teus Braços1:4724Amor Certinho1:5325Se É Tarde Me Perdoa1:4526Outra Vez1:5127Samba de uma Nota Só1:3828Discussäo1:5029Meditaçäo1:46", he insisted on 28 takes to get the pronunciation of the o in "Rosa" just right. Nonetheless, despite his high acoustic standards, he skipped a contractually required sound check prior to a July 2003 performance at the Hollywood Bowl, in Los Angeles. This negligence (and the ensuing sound fiasco) prompted the audience to stream from the venue before the concert ended. In 1997, Gilberto sued record label EMI over their reissue of several of his early works, which he contended had been poorly remastered. According to The New York Times, "A statement by his lawyer at the time declared that the reissues contained sound effects that 'did not pertain to the original recordings, banalizing the work of a great artist." Following the incident, EMI ceased production of the albums in question, and, as of 2008, the lawsuit has yet to reach a decision.
In 2001, Gilberto won the Grammy for the Best World Music Album category in the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards for his work in the album João Voz e Violão×João voz e violão1999 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Desde que o samba é samba3:552Você vai ver2:563Eclipse3:044Não vou pra casa2:565Desafinado3:286Eu vim da Bahia2:347Coração vagabundo2:098Da cor do pecado2:299Segredo3:1510Chega de saudade3:26. A year later, he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
In September 2003, Gilberto performed four shows in Japan. His performance at the Tokyo International Forum on 12 September was recorded for a live album titled In Tokyo which was released in 2004. At the 6th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2005, In Tokyo received a nomination for Best MPB Album. He performed at the JVC Jazz Festival in 2008. On 17 May 2017, Gilberto received an honorary doctorate in music from Columbia University but did not attend the commencement ceremony.
His posthumous album Relicário: João Gilberto (Ao Vivo no Sesc 1998)×Relicário: João Gilberto (Ao Vivo no Sesc 1998)26 April 2023 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 36 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Violão amigo (ao vivo no Sesc)3:102Isto aqui o que é? (ao vivo no Sesc)3:413Vivo sonhando (ao vivo no Sesc)2:354Nova ilusão (ao vivo no Sesc)3:325Izaura (ao vivo no Sesc)2:406Curare (ao vivo no Sesc)3:357Doralice (ao vivo no Sesc)2:078Rosa morena (ao vivo no Sesc)3:129Aos pés da cruz (ao vivo no Sesc)3:2610Louco (ao vivo no Sesc)2:4911Pra que discutir com madame (ao vivo no Sesc)4:4012Corcovado (ao vivo no Sesc)2:3913Retrato em branco e preto (ao vivo no Sesc)4:3714Rei sem coroa (ao vivo no Sesc)2:4615Preconceito (ao vivo no Sesc)3:1116Saudade da Bahia (ao vivo no Sesc)4:0017O pato (ao vivo no Sesc)3:2018Meditação (ao vivo no Sesc)3:07Disc 21Carinhoso (ao vivo no Sesc)4:172Guacyra (ao vivo no Sesc)2:353Solidão (ao vivo no Sesc)2:284O amor em paz (ao vivo no Sesc)2:535A primeira vez (ao vivo no Sesc)2:426Ave Maria no morro (ao vivo no Sesc)3:237Bahia com H (ao vivo no Sesc)3:488Samba de uma nota só (ao vivo no Sesc)2:169Caminhos cruzados (ao vivo no Sesc)3:1910Lá vem a baiana (ao vivo no Sesc)3:2911Ave Maria (ao vivo no Sesc)2:4212Desafinado (ao vivo no Sesc)4:1313Um abraço no Bonfá (ao vivo no Sesc)3:0114Chega de saudade (ao vivo no Sesc)5:2015A valsa de quem não tem amor (ao vivo no Sesc)2:2016Eu sei que vou te amar (ao vivo no Sesc)4:3017Wave (ao vivo no Sesc)4:0118Este seu olhar (ao vivo no Sesc)2:35 received an honorable mention by the Associação Paulista de Críticos de Arte in their list of the 50 best Brazilian albums of 2023.

Role in bossa nova

With the introduction of the microphone and the amplifier in Brazil, Gilberto realized that the sound source did not need to be emitted intensely, regarding the voice and instrument, which favored subtle and internalized interpretations. On the other hand, at the time of the first "bossa nova" recordings, Brazil still did not have high fidelity recording equipment capable of reproducing more complex sonorities. Due to that, Gilberto and Tom Jobim, Gilberto's first arranger, elaborated complex harmonies under the influence of American music, and at the same time they simplified the general sound, because of the equipment limitation.
In July 1958, Elizete Cardoso released the famous LP, Canção do Amor Demais, containing songs by Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes. The record, however, would enter the history of Brazilian popular music for another reason: Gilberto accompanied Cardoso on guitar on the tracks "Chega de Saudade×Chega de saudade1959 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Chega de saudade2:022Lobo bobo1:203Brigas nunca mais2:054Hô-Ba-La-lá2:165Saudade fez um samba1:486Maria ninguém2:227Desafinado1:588Rosa morena2:049Morena boca de ouro1:5910Aos pés da cruz1:3311Bim bom1:1512É luxo só1:55" and "Outra Vez", these being the first recordings of the so-called "bossa nova beat". In August of that year, Gilberto released a 78 rpm record containing "Chega de Saudade" and "Bim Bom", recorded at Odeon, with collaborations from Jobim, Dorival Caymmi and Aloysio de Oliveira. This record inaugurated the "bossa nova" genre and soon became a commercial success. Gilberto's recording had arrangements by Jobim and the participation of Milton Banana, among other artists. Gilberto innovated by using two microphones to record, one for the voice and one for the guitar. This way, the harmony became more clearly heard. Until then, songs were recorded with only one microphone, emphasizing the voice to the detriment of the guitar. With this innovation, voice and guitar could compete equally, if the voice maintained a natural intensity. Thus, it was necessary to issue the voice in a volume close to that of ordinary speech. With Gilberto, voice and guitar are kept at the same volume intensity, with the microphones picking up both sound sources equally, and, if required, changing the volume of both would be in equal proportion. In 1959, Gilberto released another 78 rpm, containing "Desafinado×Desafinado1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Corcovado1:592Você e eu2:313Desafinado1:594Meditação1:465Samba de uma nota só1:386Chega de saudade2:017Rosa morena2:058O pato2:019Saudade de Bahia2:1710Manhã de Carnaval2:3411O amor em paz2:2312O barquinho2:3013Insensatez2:2514Coisa mais linda2:5215Samba de minha terra2:2016Dora Lice1:2717Este seu olhar2:1418É luxo só1:5719Outra vez1:5120Discussão1:50" by Jobim and Newton Mendonça, and "Hô-bá-lá-lá×Hô-Bá-Lá-Lá17 April 2013 · Release · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 22 tracks1Hô-Bá-Lá-Lá2:162Medley o Nosso Amor/A Felicidade3:063Brigas, Nunca Mais2:064É Luxo Só1:585Rosa Morena2:056Corcovado1:587Amor Certinho1:528O Pato2:019Meditação1:4510Samba de uma Nota Só1:3811Bim Bom1:1612Se È Tarde Me Perdoa1:4713Amor Certinho1:5214Quando Ela Sai2:3815A los Pés da Cruz1:3416Trêvo de 4 Folhas1:2417Discussão1:5018Dora Lice1:2719Só Em Teus Braços1:4720Desafinado1:5821Um Abraço No Bonfá1:3722Maria Ninguém2:22", written by himself. In March 1959, he released the LP Chega de Saudade, which became a sales success and had a major impact in the history of Brazilian music.

Musical style

Gilberto's style combines traditional elements of samba with more contemporary jazz. His "unique" acoustic guitar style involves a syncopated rhythm of plucked chords, with chord progressions rooted in the jazz tradition. His vocal style has been described as "laid-back and understated". In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Gilberto at number 81 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. Leonardo Rocha, in his obituary for the BBC, states that Gilberto's music describes "a period of huge optimism in Brazil".

Personal life

Gilberto first married the singer Astrud Weinert, with whom he collaborated on the hit recording of "The Girl from Ipanema×The Girl From Ipanema1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Eu e você2:222O nosso amor / A felicidade3:033Maria vai com as outras4:044Hȏ-bá-lá-lá2:145Corcovado2:306Catende5:037Marina2:258Brigas, nunca mais2:059Only Trust Your Heart4:2510Das rosas3:1711Saudade fez um samba1:4512It Might as Well Be Spring4:1913Cantador2:3414Se é tarde me perdoa1:4515Telephone Song1:5216Chove la fora2:1217The Girl From Ipanema6:01"; the couple had a son called João Marcelo. They divorced, and he later married the singer Miúcha (died 2018); they had only one daughter, Bebel Gilberto. They later separated. Gilberto also had a daughter with Claudia Faissol, a journalist.
Gilberto lived alone from around 2009. His final years were marked by money problems as well as declining health. In 2011, he was sued and evicted from an apartment in Leblon by his landlord, Countess Georgina Brandolini d'Adda. It was reported in December 2017 that his daughter Bebel was seeking control of his financial affairs because of his declining mental state and increasing indebtedness.
On 6 July 2019, Gilberto died at his apartment in Rio de Janeiro. His body was buried in the Cemetery Hill Park in Niterói following a private ceremony on 8 July 2019.
Writing in The Guardian after his death, Dom Phillips described Gilberto as ".. one of the country's greatest musicians and composers, a reclusive genius in a nation of extroverts whose work recalled happier, more optimistic times for a deeply divided nation." In The Washington Post pop critic Chris Richards said, "His voice was one of the most intimate sounds of the 20th century – more melodic than a sigh, more rhythmic than chitchat, only just barely. Every syllable that appeared on his lips carried an air of effortlessness, but Gilberto had worked hard to locate that sacred place where a human breath becomes music."