Direct from Brazil this dynamic female vocalist speaks and sings fluently in both Portuguese and English. Come to Copacabana Beach with her, as she takes you on a musical journey. She is The Girl From Ipanema!
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- It was the summer of 1962 when a tall, tan, young and lovely girl went walking on Ipanema beach, swaying like a samba past two awestruck composers and into music history.
As "The Girl From Ipanema" turns 40, Brazilians are celebrating the song that became a symbol of Rio and its laid-back, beach-loving lifestyle. A TV special about the song has run several times and a new book about bossa nova is planned to commemorate its first performance four decades ago.
The story goes that composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and his longtime collaborator, vinicius de Moraes, were sitting at a bar on Ipanema Beach when young Helo Pinheiro walked by and inspiration struck. The result was "The Girl From Ipanema," and the song, with its blend of jazz, samba, and subtle, haunting harmonies, became an instant hit. "This is a date which Brazilian musicians consider fundamental to the spread of the Brazilian sound worldwide," said Carlos Alberto Afonso, owner of the cafe and music store where the concert took place.
In 1964, an English version by singer Astrud Gilberto and saxophonist Stan Getz was released and quickly climbed to No. 5 on Billboard magazine's hit parade. It was nominated for seven Grammy awards and won four, including best single, beating out the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Nearly 200 artists have since performed renditions of the song, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Nat "King" Cole, Mel Torme, Al Jarreau and Kenny G.
"The Girl From Ipanema" also was the high-water mark of bossa nova's popularity. It soon was supplanted by other musical styles in Brazil, but it retains a core of devoted fans.
Veteran composer Billy Blanco hopes the anniversary is a new beginning. "[This] feels like a wedding to me," Blanco said. "A wedding of the past with the present, a wedding of bossa nova with the Brazilian people once again."
Now enjoy the wedding of the music with Bruna Brazil!
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- It was the summer of 1962 when a tall, tan, young and lovely girl went walking on Ipanema beach, swaying like a samba past two awestruck composers and into music history.
As "The Girl From Ipanema" turns 40, Brazilians are celebrating the song that became a symbol of Rio and its laid-back, beach-loving lifestyle. A TV special about the song has run several times and a new book about bossa nova is planned to commemorate its first performance four decades ago.
The story goes that composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and his longtime collaborator, vinicius de Moraes, were sitting at a bar on Ipanema Beach when young Helo Pinheiro walked by and inspiration struck. The result was "The Girl From Ipanema," and the song, with its blend of jazz, samba, and subtle, haunting harmonies, became an instant hit. "This is a date which Brazilian musicians consider fundamental to the spread of the Brazilian sound worldwide," said Carlos Alberto Afonso, owner of the cafe and music store where the concert took place.
In 1964, an English version by singer Astrud Gilberto and saxophonist Stan Getz was released and quickly climbed to No. 5 on Billboard magazine's hit parade. It was nominated for seven Grammy awards and won four, including best single, beating out the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Nearly 200 artists have since performed renditions of the song, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Nat "King" Cole, Mel Torme, Al Jarreau and Kenny G.
"The Girl From Ipanema" also was the high-water mark of bossa nova's popularity. It soon was supplanted by other musical styles in Brazil, but it retains a core of devoted fans.
Veteran composer Billy Blanco hopes the anniversary is a new beginning. "[This] feels like a wedding to me," Blanco said. "A wedding of the past with the present, a wedding of bossa nova with the Brazilian people once again."
Now enjoy the wedding of the music with Bruna Brazil!
