Read Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World Online
Authors: Ruy Castro
Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World (70 page)
In recent years, he had become a household name, as beloved on a worldwide scale as in his home country. Every year, he received tributes and honorary degrees in cities from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv to Tokyo, which allowed him to perform frequently with his own Banda Nova, a highly-polished instrumental-vocal ensemble composed of his sons and the sons of his friends. A college of music was founded in São Paulo in his honor. In 1992, the Escola de Samba Mangueira (The Mangueira Samba School) paraded in the Rio Carnival with its four thousand participants singing a samba in tribute to him—with the shy Jobim himself perched on top of a float, four meters above the ground, terrified of falling and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd in the stands.
I spoke with him for the last time just two weeks before his death. Jobim was sitting at his usual table at the Plataforma restaurant, in the Leblon neighborhood of Rio, where he went every day. He appeared happy and carefree, although he was aware of the seriousness of his condition. Since the publication of the Brazilian edition of this book, in 1990, I had returned several times to his beautiful home in upper Jardim Botânico, with a breathtaking view of the beaches, mountains, and lagoons of Rio. In his last years, Jobim gradually slowed his work pace but sat at his piano daily (he had two grand pianos in his studio), hunched over a song for months. One of his last compositions was “Piano na Mangueira” (Mangueira Piano), the final rendezvous between traditional samba and bossa nova. His last recording might well have been the track “Fly Me to the Moon,” a duet with Frank Sinatra on the record
Duets II
.
Like Jobim, many other big names in bossa nova have died in the last twenty years: lyricists Vinícius de Moraes, Ronaldo Bôscoli, and Marcos de Vasconcellos; producer Aloysio de Oliveira; female vocalists Maysa, Elizeth Cardoso, Nara Leão, and Elis Regina; male vocalists Dick Farney, Lúcio Alves, Agostinho dos Santos, Luiz Roberto (of Os Cariocas), Luiz Henrique, and Wilson Miranda; percussionists Milton Banana, Edison Machado, Victor Manga, and Rubens Bassini; pianists Luiz Eça and Tenório Jr.; organist Walter Wanderley; and maestro Radamés Gnatalli.
On the other hand, many others are still active and some (following a period of ostracism brought about by the conquest of the Brazilian market by rock) have even relaunched their careers in the nineties. Guitarists Roberto Menescal and Baden Powell, composer Carlos Lyra, the vocal ensemble Os
Cariocas, singers Alayde Costa and Claudette Soares, pianist Luis Carlos Vinhas, and many others have been working more than ever. The singer and actress Norma Bengell became a movie director. Pianists and composers João Donato and Johnny Alf have finally been recognized as two of the great pioneers of bossa nova and have received due tributes, recording prolifically. The composer and singer Marcos Valle was rediscovered in England and the Netherlands, where he has become a sensation. Singer Leny Andrade frequently performs in New York. Many Brazilian musicians have now taken up permanent residency in the United States: pianists and arrangers Sérgio Mendes, Eumir Deodato, Oscar Castro-Neves, and Don Salvador; singers Astrud Gilberto and Flora Purim; arranger Moacyr Santos; percussionists Airto Moreira, Dom Um Romão, and Hélcio Milito; among many others. The quality of their work paved the way for innumerable Brazilian musicians, many of whom aren’t necessarily associated with bossa nova, like Tom Zé, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Gal Costa, to become known to the American public.
João Gilberto returned to Brazil in 1980, after an eighteen-year absence. As is his style, he moved quietly into a hotel suite in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, which he has since rarely left. He has never been sighted dining out, he never goes to bars, he doesn’t attend shows or go to the movies, and there is no record that he ever visits friends. Compared with his reclusive lifestyle, there are Tibetan monks who lead social lives worthy of being written up in the gossip columns. He has gone back to making great records, and when money is tight, to doing shows, at which he refuses (with good reason) to sing if the sound system isn’t up to his minutely exigent standards. On records and in his performances, he has managed to combine bossa nova classics with the hits that he heard over the loudspeakers of his home town, Juazeiro, in Bahia.
It’s as if he never really left—and as if the entire revolution that he brought about in popular music since “Chega de saudade” (No More Blues) in 1958 was merely the path that he followed in order to be able to continue singing the songs he had listened to as a child.
All entries are CDs and refer to classic records issued in the last ten years. The CD’s country of origin follows the label’s name. Some of them may be hard to find or out of print, but can be tracked through specialized Brazilian record stores, such as Marché Discos (Rua Mourato Coelho, 798—Pinheiros, São Paulo—SP, CEP 05417-001
http://marchediscos.com.br
) or Modern Sound (Rua Barata Ribeiro, 502-D—Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro—RJ, CEP 22040-000
http://www.modernsound.com.br
). (A good U.S. source for hard-to-find Brazilian CDs and LPs is
http://www.dustygroove.com
.)
As of this writing, dozens of great Bossa Nova records remain unreleased on CD. For a more detailed discography of the artists below, including rare singles and albums, visit
http://www.sombras.com.br
.
| Adnet, Mario | | Para Gershwin e Jobim—Universal Brasil 325911001332 |
| Alf, Johnny | | Eu e a brisa—Imagem Brasil 2003 Olhos negros—RCA Brasil 10.083 Cult Alf—Natasha Brasil 289 127 Eu e a bossa—Rob Digital Brasil RD 020 |
| Alves, Lúcio | | Balançamba—Elenco Brasil ME—02 Lúcio Alves especial—EMI Brasil 795678 Acervo especial—RCA Victor Brasil M 60.049 20 preferidas—RGE Brasil 5519 2 |
| Andrade, Leny | | Leny Andrade & Johnny Alf—Acervo especial—BMG Brasil 100018 Letra & música : Antonio Carlos Jobim (w/ Cristovão Bastos) Lumiar Brasil 107655 Bossa nova—Eldorado Brasil |
| Banana, Milton | | Vê—EMI Brasil 789629 2 Milton Banana trio—EMI Brasil 859164 Sambas de bossa—BMG Brasil M60025 |
| Benjor, Jorge (Ben, Jorge) | | 10 anos depois—Polygram Brasil 842012 |
| Blanco, Billy | | Billy Blanco na voz do próprio—Polygram Japan 4225— Paulistana—EMI Brasil 837823 2 Informal ao vivo—CID Brasil |
| Bonfá, Luiz | | Bossa nova (w/ Lalo Schifrin & Oscar Castro-Neves) Verve Japan POCJ 2565 Jazz samba encore (w/ Stan Getz & Antonio Carlos Jobim) Verve USA 823613-2 Non-stop Brazil—Chesky USA JD29 The Bonfá magic—Milestone USA 9202 Jacarandá—Orchard 387 USA Introspection—Orchard 1546 USA |
| Bossa Três | | Os reis do ritmo—Bomba Japan—Bom561 Em forma—Polygram Japan PHCA 4242 |
| Bruno, Lenita | | Por toda a minha vida—Festa Brasil FT1802 |
| Cardoso, Elizeth | | Canção do amor demais—Festa Brasil 6002 Elizete interpreta Vinicius—Movie Play Brasil ABW 81588 |
| Cariocas, Os | | A bossa de Os Cariocas—Polygram Brasil—558954 Reconquistar—WEA Brasil—903176578 A bossa brasileira—Paradoxx Brasil—3208015 |
| Castro-Neves, Oscar | | Oscar with members of The Paul Winter Consort—Living Music USA DX 1292 LD0010 Oscar Castro-Neves—Imagem Brasil CD 2005 Brazilian Scandals—JVC Japan VDP 1204 |
| Caymmi, Danilo | | Sol moreno—EMI Brasil 8357912 Mistura brasileira—EMI Brasil 857 482 |
| Caymmi, Dori | | Brazilian serenata—WEA USA 26573 Dori Caymmi—WEA USA 60790 |
| Caymmi, Dorival | | Caymmi visita Tom (w/ Antonio Carlos Jobim) Polygram Brasil 823011 Mestres da MPB—Continental Brasil—995969 Dorival & Nana—BMG Brasil 30550 |
| Caymmi, Nana | | Nana—RGE Brasil 8151 Nana—Polygram Brasil 526952 A noite do meu Bem—EMI Brasil—830776 |
| Cesar, Silvio | | Amigos da bossa—Paradoxx Brasil 3208013 |
| Chaves, Luiz | | Projeção—RGE Brasil 3476010 |
| Chevalier, Claire | | Saveur Brésil (w/ Rosinha de Valença)—Paradoxx Brasil 1305 |
| Clooney, Rosemary | | Brazil (w/ John Pizzarelli)—Concord USA 4884 |
| Costa, Alayde | | Amiga de verdade—MoviePlay Brasil 115706 Falando de amor—Ethnic France 6876 |
| Costa, Gal | | Gal canta Caymmi—Polygram 836014 Aquarela do Brasil (Songs of Ary Barroso)—Polygram Brasil Gabriela—(w/ Jobim)—Polygram Brasil Rio revisited (w/ Jobim)—Polygram Brasil 841286 Gal Costa canta Tom Jobim—BMG Brasil 7432170979 |
| Creuza, Maria | | O Grande encontro (w/ Toquinho & Vinicius de Moraes)—Sigla Brasil 4156 Você abusou—RGE Brasil—115737 |
| Deodato, Eumir | | Inútil paisagem—Universal Brasil—848270 Ataque (Os Catedráticos) UBCD Japan 104 Impulso (Os Catedráticos) UBCD Japan 101 Nova concepção (Os Catedráticos) UBCD Japan 102 Idéias—EMI Japan 50643 |
| Desmond, Paul | | From the hot afternoon—A&M USA CD 0824 |
| Donato, João | | Sambou, sambou—Pacific Japan 8320 João Donato (w/ Eumir Deodato) 32Jazz USA 32154 Quem é quem—EMI Japan 50638 Coisas tão simples—EMI Brasil 836008 Só danço samba—Lumiar Brasil 40-01/99 João Donato songbook (3 CDs)—Lumiar Brasil LD45-04 Donato Millennium—Universal Brasil 73145428912 |
| Duran, Dolores | | Dolores Duran—Marcos Pereira Brasil 10037 Dolores canta Dolores—EMI Brasil 499356 |
| Eça, Luiz | | (See Tamba Trio and Tamba 4) O prestígio de Luiz Eça—Polygram Brasil—811162 Luiz Eça piano e cordas 2—Polygram Brasil 526960 |
| Elias, Eliana | | Plays Jobim—Blue Note USA 793089 Sings Jobim—Blue Note USA 95050 |
| Farney, Dick | | A voz de Dick Farney—Polygram Brasil 848268 Meus momentos Vol 1—EMI Brasil 830700 Meus momentos Vol 2—EMI Brasil 857836 |
| Fest, Manfredo | | Just Jobim—DMP USA 524 |
| Fitzgerald, Ella | | Ella abraça Jobim—Pablo USA PACD 2630-201-2 |
| Fogueira Três | | Bossa nova—CID Brasil 3/5 |
| Gatos, Os | | Aquele som dos gatos—Polygram Brasil 558955 |
| Getz, Stan | | Jazz samba (w/ Charlie Byrd)—Verve USA 2304195 Getz au go-go (w/ Astrud Gilberto)—Verve USA 2304173 Getz & Gilberto (w/ Astrud Gilberto)—Mobile Fidelity USA 208 Getz & Gilberto 2—Polygram USA 519800—Easy Best of two words (w/ Miucha & João Gilberto)—SNY USA 3703 The girl from Ipanema—The bossa nova years—(4 CDs) Polygram USA 314519801 |
| Gilberto, Astrud | | Beach samba—Polygram USA 314519801 The Astrud Gilberto album (w/ Tom Jobim)—Polygram USA 823451 The shadow of your smile—Polygram Japan 2559 The girl from Ipanema—Prime Cuts USA 2364 |
| Gilberto, João | | The legendary João Gilberto (includes Chega de Saudade, O amor, o sorriso e a flor and João Gilberto—the first three albums) World Pacific USA 793891 En México—Polygram USA 848426 João Gilberto—Polygram Brasil—837580 Amoroso—WEA USA—23053 Live at 19th Montreux jazz festival—WEA 254728 Brasil (w/ Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethania) WEA Brasil 256964 João—Polygram Brasil—848188 Eu sei que vou te amar (live) Epic Brasil 476467 João, voz e violão—Universal Brasil 731454671132 |
| Henderson, Joe | | Double rainbow—Verve Polygram Brasil—527 222 |
| Hi-Los, The | | The Hi-Los happen to bossa nova—Reprise USA 1134 |
| Hime, Francis | | Francis Hime (2 em 1)—Emi Brasil 829032 Passaredo—Cast/Sigla 4009-2 Álbum musical—WEA 063017811-2 |
| Hime, Olívia | | Alta madrugada—Paradoxx Brasil 3208006 O fio da meada—Cast/Sigla—403.0022 |
| Hollanda, Chico Buarque de | | Chico Buarque de Hollanda N. 4—Polygram Brasil 812 091 Construção—Polygram Brasil—836 013 |
| Jobim, Antonio Carlos | | The composer plays—Polygram USA 823011 Composer—WEA USA 946114 Tom Jobim apresenta—WEA Brasil 832907 Wave—Polygram USA 0812 Tide—Polygram USA 393031 Stone flower—CBS USA 45480 Matita Perê—Polygram Brasil 826856 Urubu—WEA USA 22928 Echoes of Rio (w/ Miúcha & Chico Buarque) BMG USA 9602 Miúcha & Tom—BMG Brasil 10025 Tom, Vinicius, Toquinho e Miúcha—Ao Vivo no Canecão— Sigla Brasil 4244 Edu & Tom (w/ Edu Lobo)—Polygram Brasil 534258 Terra brasilis—WEA USA 23409 Passarim—Polygram Brasil 833234 Antonio Brasileiro—Sigla Brasil—419058 Tom Jobim inédito—BMG Brasil—7432132920 Minha alma canta—Lumiar Brasil 07/97—1997 |
| Jobim–Morelenbaum Quarteto | | Jobim–Morelenbaum Quarteto—Universal Brasil 04400129652 |
| Jones, Quincy | | Big band bossa nova—Mercury USA 814225 |
| Jones, Salene | | Sings Jobim—Velas Brasil 11-V174 |
| Jongo Trio | | Jongo Trio—MIX House Brasil—MH0005 |
| Joyce | | Tom Jobim—Os Anos 60—EMI Brasil 793498 Meus momentos—EMI Brasil 830779 Tardes cariocas—Far Out England—016CD Live at the Mojo Club—Universal Germany 527808-2 |
| Koning, Josee | | Tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim SNY USA 81919 |
| Koorax, Ithamara | | Sings the Luiz Bonfá songbook—Paddle Wheel USA KICP-503 Red river—King Records Japan 497 Bossa Nova songbook—King Records Japan 301 Bossa Nova meets drum & bass—King Records Japan 665 |
| Leão, Nara | | Nara—Polygram Brasil—848970 Dez anos depois—Polygram Brasil 528083 Garota de Ipanema—Polygram Brasil 826854 Um cantinho, um violão (w/ Roberto Menescal) Polygram Brasil 824414 Meus sonhos dourados—Polygram Brasil 832639 My foolish heart—Polygram Brasil 838812 Minha história—Polygram Brasil 518665 |
| Lobo, Edu | | Edu Lobo por Edu Lobo (w/ Tamba Trio) Polygram Brasil 848967 Edu e Bethânia (w/ Maria Bethânia) Polygram Brasil 512053 Edu Lobo (2 em 1)—EMI Brasil 829032 Currupião—Velas Brasil—11-V0 Minha história—Polygram Brasil—526193 Sergio Mendes presents Lobo—A&M Japan—POCM 2016 |
| Lucia, Ana | | Ana Lucia canta triste—RGE Brasil 6098 |
| Lyra, Carlos | | Mestres da MPB—Continental Brasil 997753 Bossa nova—Polygram Japan 4215 Pobre menina rica (w/ Dulce Nunes) Columbia Brasil 476410 BossaLyra—BMG Brasil M20298 Carioca de algema EMI Brasil 831339 |
| Machado, Edison | | Edison Machado é samba novo—Columbia Brasil 866024 |
| Madi, Tito | | Tito Madi especial—EMI Brasil 795604 |
| Maia, Tim | | Interpreta clássicos da bossa nova—Vitória Régia Brasil MVRD 00010 Amigo do rei (w/ Os Cariocas)—Vitória Régia VRD 00012 |
| Mann, Herbie | | Do the bossa nova—Collectables USA 6245 Herbie Mann & João Gilberto with Antonio Carlos Jobim—Atlantic USA 7567-80789 |
| Márcia | | Eu e a brisa—Polydor Brasil 532596 |
| Maysa | | Barquinho—Columbia Brasil 866016 A bossa nova por Maysa—RGE Brasil 3426090 Tom Jobim por Maysa—RGE Brasil 3426089 Demais—RCA Brasil 10024 20 Sucessos (Canecão Apresenta Maysa)—Copacabana Brasil 99902 Convite para ouvir Maysa (4 CDs) RGE Brasil 9402 |
| McFarland, Gary | | Soft samba—Verve Polygram Japan 2110 |
| Mendes, Sergio | | Swinger from Rio—Collectables Jazz Classics USA 6267 The beat of Brazil—Collectables Jazz Classics USA 6267 Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘65 (w/ Wanda Sá)—EMI Japan 7994 The great arrival—Atlantic Japan 1244 In person at El Matador—Atlantic Japan 1246 Look around (w/ Brasil ‘66) Polygram Japan 1981 |
| Menescal, Roberto | | A bossa nova de Roberto Menescal—Polygram Brasil 512058 Bossa evergreen—Albatroz Brasil 1048 |
| Miúcha | | Miúcha—Continental Brasil 179105 Rosa amarela—BMG Brasil—743216/7333 |
| Miltinho | | Miltinho convida—Globo Columbia Brasil—419 096 |
| Monteiro, Ciro | | De Vinicius e Baden, especialmente para Ciro Monteiro Polygram Brasil 558957 |
| Monteiro, Doris | | Simplesmente—Bomba Japan 556 Doris Monteiro—Polygram Japan 4244 Doris Monteiro e Tito Madi—Columbia Brasil 721 240 |
| Moraes, Vinicius de | | A arte de Vinicius de Moares—Polygram Brasil 834654 Vinicius & Odete Lara—Polygram Brasil 512057 Vinicius/Caymmi no Zum Zum—Polygram Brasil 848969 |
| Morelenbaum, Paula | | Paula Morelenbaum—Cameratti Brasil 1006 |
| MPB 4 | | Deixa estar—Polygram Brasil—526956 |
| | Antologia—Mercury Brasil—532 597 | |
| Mulligan, Gerry | | Paraíso (w/ Jane Duboc) Telarc USA 83361 |