Topic: Astrud Gilberto RIP

[MarkC]

Astrud Gilberto died earlier this week. “The Girl from Ipanema,” on which she sang, helped boost the popularity of Bossa Nova (my father had the album - “Getz/Gilberto” when I was a kid).

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/astrud-gilberto-obituary-1234764496/

[Stuart]

Thanks for the post. I saw the notice earlier in the week in the NYT. Here it is:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/arts/music/astrud-gilberto-dead.html

[Stuart]

This just came my way:

https://theconversation.com/astrud-gilberto-spread-bossa-nova-to-a-welcoming-world-but-got-little-love-back-in-brazil-207271

[MarkC]

Thanks for this Stuart. Sad that Brazil turned its back on her.

The article mentions the film “Black Orpheus/Orfeo Negro.” I first saw it in my teens on the local PBS station. Great film. Luiz Bonfa wrote “Mahna de Carnival” and “Samba de Orfeo,” both in the film (Antonio Carlos Jobim also wrote some of the music). The soundtrack got me hooked on the playing of Bonfa, who’s one of my favorite guitarists. Here are solo versions of Bonfa playing both songs:

[Stuart]

Hi Mark: Thanks for the reminder about "Black Orpheus." It's been a while since I've watched it. The local library has the Criterion Collection DVD and a hold has been place. And thanks for the links to the Luiz Bofna songs. I plan on following up on his music as well.

I guess social psychologists would attribute her being rejected by her home country as a function of learned attitudes that were legitimized and mutually reinforced. Hard to figure since her music should have been the sole criterion on which she was judged. But what do I know?

[Johnm]

One thing I really liked about Astrud Gilberto's singing was her flat emotional affect. Her singing reminded me of Chet Baker's in that respect--they both sounded like they didn't know what the words meant. It's very refreshing to hear after a lot of hyper-dramatic, emotionally over-the-top renditions of what were essentially Pop love songs.

[Lignite]

I guess it was called being "ultra cool."