The bossa nova is an
original Brazilian music genre that emerged in the late fifties,
promoted by a group of students and middle-class musicians from
Copacabana and Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro's neighborhoods located close the
beachs. The name can be translated as "new rhythm" or "the new way".
It became well known in Brazil thanks after the recording of the song "Chega
de Saudade" performed by João Gilberto, and composed by Antonio Carlos
Jobim (music) and Vinicius de Moraes (lyrics), three of the leading
pioneers of this Brazilian music genre.
There isn't a consensus
that recognizes the bossa nova as a movement. However, this style is
known for its importance in the history of the Brazilian music. He
picked up the distinctive features of street samba, screaming and
burning to remove decibels, fervor and drums, and lead to smaller spaces
where you could hear relaxed. New sophisticated harmonies emerged, with
irregularities that had a direct relationship withthe spirit of the
postwar American music, especially the West Coast jazz, creating a
fusion itself. The lyrics and music also maintained a close relationship
with each other, but its main feature is the Brazilian roots rhythm.
The bossa nova became
tremendously popular in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America, but its
international success was limited to short periods of time, such as
after the premiere of the film Black Orpheus that Stan Getz launch in
the sixties.Thanks to Dorival Caymmi (Saudade de Bahia, 1957) and the
discovered by northamerican musicians as Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd
that pley the bossa-nova, there was a
significant cultural exchange between these musicians and others as the
precursor Laurindo Almeida, Antonio Carlos Jobim , João Gilberto and
Astrud Gilberto, thus creating a new branch of syncopation schemes based
on Brazilian music. Besides those already named, artists such as Flora
Purim, Edu Lobo, Airto Moreira, Baden Powell,
Paulinho Da Costa, Vinicius de Moraes, Zimbo
Trio, Hermeto
Pascoal, Dom Um Romao, Paulinho da Viola or Eliane Elias, have developed
work in the field of fusion of jazz and bossa.
Perhaps the best known bossa nova song is "Garota de Ipanema" (The girl
from Ipanema) by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, known
throughout the world both in its original version in Portuguese as well
in its English translation.
Listen the complete Bossa Nova album (MP3) from the playlist bellow
