João Gilberto, the legendary Brazilian guitarist and bossa nova pioneer, died Saturday, July 6, at the age of 88.
Gilberto's unique acoustic style—a mix of traditional samba and jazz
João Gilberto, the legendary Brazilian guitarist and bossa nova pioneer, died Saturday, July 6, at the age of 88.
Gilberto's unique acoustic style—a mix of traditional samba and jazz influences—helped cement the bossa nova sound, and was hugely influential to generations of Brazilian musicians.
Over the course of his long career, Gilberto collaborated with the likes of Herbie Mann, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. However, it was his 1964 collaboration with American saxophonist Stan Getz, Getz/Gilberto, that made Gilberto a household name around the world.
Featuring their classic take on “The Girl from Ipanema,” Getz/Gilberto was an enormous hit, selling more than 2 million copies in its year of release alone, and becoming the first non-American record to win the coveted Album of the Year Grammy in 1965.
Gilberto's most recent album, João Voz E Violão, was produced by Caetano Veloso and released in 2000.