The legacy Astrud Gilberto left behind shines through the enduring classics of Brazilian popular music. The great bossa nova diva, who died at the age of 83, contributed a wealth of songs that continue to enchant listeners with their beauty and charm. Her influence reached far beyond borders, shaping the language of cool, intimate vocal delivery that could comfort the listener even in moments of sadness. This piece surveys five pivotal moments that define her career, offering a small doorway into a serene world where emotion can feel soothing.
Astrud Gilberto, the unforgettable voice behind The Girl from Ipanema, is remembered
“Girl from Ipanema” (1964)
Astrud Evangelina Weinert entered recording sessions with a minimal background in professional singing. During the sessions for the LP, she encouraged João Gilberto to voice several stanzas in English of the timeless composition by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes. The collaboration with Stan Getz helped propel the track onto stages and into charts around the world. Astrud’s subtle, captivating performance became a defining moment in the international expansion of bossa nova, giving the young Bahian singer a platform to launch a remarkable career that, at times, faced its own share of challenges.
“Drinkable Water” (1965)
On her first full album, Astrud Gilberto Album, she demonstrated a confident artistic identity after moving beyond the influence of Getz. Her voice unfolds with sweetness, moving with ease from playful whimsy to tender emotion. She interprets a Jobim and Moraes tune with a warmth that feels almost tactile, tracing a line from carefree scat to a softly seductive mood. The performance invites listeners to keep an open heart, a gesture that mirrors the fragile beauty of love in a changing world.
“Berimbau” (1966)
By the mid‑sixties Gilberto embodied a sense of cool that defined the era. Signing with Verve, she delivered an album that was lush with orchestral textures, a collaboration that included Gil Evans and Al Cohn. In the track “Berimbau,” a tune originally by Baden Powell and Vinícius de Moraes, the dialogue between Gilberto’s voice and Evans’ arrangements reaches rare emotional depths, painting a landscape of nostalgia and innocence in a deeply personal, almost transcendent letter. The line about leaving and returning resonates as a quiet testament to enduring connection.
“A Certain Sorrow” (1966)
What might have seemed like a lighthearted piece transformed into a moment of poignant reflection on the 1966 album pairing. Brazilian organist Walter Wanderley threads through a stream of melancholy, guiding a vocal performance that remains unforgettable. The composition by John Court and Carlos Lyra finds Wanderley at the piano, and Gilberto’s delivery lingers — a rainy afternoon companion that invites memory and contemplation, a reminder of how mood and memory braid together in song.
“Far” (1977)
Like many Brazilian artists of her generation, Astrud Gilberto grew up absorbing the sounds of American jazz, including the work of Chet Baker. It is not surprising that she would reference this early phase as one of the most rewarding moments of her career. The duet version of “Girl from Ipanema” became a touchstone for a later record, while the album surrounding it sought new textures and experimentation. The melody’s elegance and the blend of voices and trumpet created a moment of shimmering beauty, even as the project searched for a new identity. Though not all attempts found their mark, the spirit of reinvention remained a constant thread in her work.