Bossa Nova is a Brazilian musical genre that emerged in the late 1950s. It combined traditional Brazilian music and rhythms; American jazz; and Portuguese lyrics in a relaxed and sensual style.
The key figures of Bossa Nova were Antônio Carlos Jobim (also known as Tom Jobim) and João Gilberto, along with other musicians and lyricists. The bossa nova beat was a simplified version of the samba school rhythm, created by drummer Milton Banana. Eventually, Bossa Nova gained international popularity and contributed to the modernization of Brazilian music. Its iconic sound was characterized by the use of classical guitar to synthesize the rhythm of samba.
On balance, the release of the film soundtrack Black Orpheus in 1959 and João Gilberto’s album Chega de Saudade marked important milestones in the rise of Bossa Nova.
Markedly, the genre attracted young musicians and influenced artists like Sergio Mendes and Jorge Ben.
Bossa Nova is typically performed on nylon-string classical guitar, with a focus on vocals and rhythmic guitar accompaniment. João Gilberto’s innovative guitar style and unique vocal projection were notable contributions to the genre.
In the early 2000s, Bossacucanova combined traditional bossa nova with electronica. Led by permanent members Márcio Menescal, DJ Marcelinho DaLua, and record producer Alex Moreira, they received a Latin Grammy nomination in 2002 for Best Brazilian Contemporary Pop Album for their release Brasilidade.
Top Bossa Nova Songs
- Garota de Ipanema (Vinicius de Moraes/Antônio Carlos Jobim). This song became highly popular outside Brazil thanks to Astrud Gilberto’s English language version, Girl from Ipanema.
- Samba do Avião (Antônio Carlos Jobim)
- Desafinado (Antônio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonça). Popularized by João Gilberto.
- Insensatez (Vinicius de Moraes/Antônio Carlos Jobim)
- Wave (Vinicius de Moraes/Antônio Carlos Jobim)
- Pela Luz Dos Olhos Teus (Vinicius de Moraes/Antônio Carlos Jobim)
- Ela É Carioca (Vinicius de Moraes/Antônio Carlos Jobim)
- Chega de Saudade (Vinicius de Moraes/Antônio Carlos Jobim)
- Águas de Março (Antônio Carlos Jobim). Became a hit song performed by Elis Regina in the LP Elis & Tom (1974).
- Samba de Uma Nota Só (Antônio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonça)
- Uma Rosa Em Minha Mão (Toquinho/Vinicius de Moraes)
- Mas Que Nada (Jorge Ben Jor). Made Sérgio Mendes famous worldwide.
- O Barquinho (Ronaldo Bôscoli/Roberto Menescal). The song was performed by numerous artists, such as Elis Regina, Maysa, Nara Leão and João Gilberto.
- Amor Certinho (Roberto Guimarães). Performed by João Gilberto.
Notable Bossa Nova Recordings
João Gilberto: Chega de Saudade (1959); O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor (1960); Amoroso; and Getz/Gilberto with Stan Getz (1964).
Antônio Carlos Jobim: The Composer Of Desafinado, Plays (1963); The Wonderful World of Antônio Carlos Jobim (1965); Wave (1967); and Tide (1970).
Original soundtrack: Black Orpheus Orpheu Negro
Luiz Bonfá – Luiz Bonfá Plays and Sings Bossa Nova (1962)
Carlos Lyra – Nova (Phillips, 1960)
Os Cariocas – A Bossa dos Cariocas (Phillips, 1962)
Tamba Trio – Trio (Phillips, 1962)
Oscar Castro Neves – Big Band Bossa Nova (Audio Fidelity, 1962)
Eliana & Booker Pitman – News from Brazil Bossa Nova (1963)
João Donato – A Bossa Muito Moderna de Donato (Polydor, 1963)
Baden Powell à Vontade (Elenco, 1964)
Carlos Lyra and Dulce Nunes – Menina Rica (CBS, 1964)
Zimbo Trio (RGE, 1964)
Walter Wanderley – Entre Nós (Phillips, 1964)
Nara Leão – Opinião de Nara (Phillips, 1964)
Milton Banana Trio (Odeon, 1965)
Astrud Gilberto
Astrud Gilberto – The Astrud Gilberto Album (1966)
Sérgio Mendes
Sérgio Mendes – The Swinger from Rio (1966)
Elis Regina
Elis Regina – Elis (Phillips, 1966)
Frank Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim – Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim (1967)
Elis Regina & Tom Jobim
Elis & Tom (1974)
Eliane Elias
Eliane Elias – Bossa Nova Stories (Blue Note, 2008)
Toco
Toco – Memoria (Schema, 2014)
Sabrina Malheiros
Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto – João (2023)
Bossacucanova
Revisited Classics (1998), Brasilidade with Roberto Menescal (2001), Uma Batida Diferente (2004), Ipanema Lounge (2005), Ao Vivo (2009), Nossa Onda É Essa! (2012), Our Kind of Bossa (2014) and Bossa Got the Blues with Roberto Menescal (2019).
Bossa Nova Compilations
Various Artists – Bossa Nova At Carnegie Hall
Various Artists – The Real Bossa Nova
Various Artists – Best Of Bossa Nova
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents Bossa Nova
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.