# Astrud Gilberto known as “The Girl from Ipanema” and often referred to as “The Queen of Bossa-Nova”: Video

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2018/03/30/astrud-gilberto-known-as-the-girl-from-ipanema-and-often-referred-to-as-the-queen-of-bossa-nova-video/
- Published: 2018-03-30T00:02:26+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**30.03. – Happy Birthday !!! Astrud Gilberto – vocalist, recording artist, composer.
Astrud Gilberto, known as “The Girl from Ipanema” and often referred to as “The 
Queen of Bossa-Nova,” is an artist with roots firmly planted in Brazilian music.
Her music has become an interesting combination of the sensual rhythms of Brazil
and American Pop and Jazz.**

Born in the Northeast of Brazil, in the state of Bahia, one of three sisters of 
a German father and a Brazilian mother, Astrud grew up in Rio de Janeiro. She immigrated
to the United States in the early 1960s, where she resides since then.

Astrud was first introduced to the World at large in 1964 through “The Girl From
Ipanema,” the Grammy-winning recording with Stan Getz and her then-husband João 
Gilberto (the father of Bossa Nova). The fact that Astrud seldom grants interviews
made it possible for many untruthful versions on how her guest appearance in the
Getz & Gilberto album came about to be printed here and there, such as that she 
was “discovered” by Creed Taylor, or by Stan Getz, or yet, by Jobim, when the only
truth is that she was invited to participate in the album by João Gilberto, who 
has great admiration for her singing talents.

Astrud’s recordings exposed the nations of the World to the sensuality of Brazilian
music and to her unique vocal interpretations of American music, such as “The Shadow
of your Smile,” “It Might as well be Spring,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Look to the
Rainbow” (from her album of the same title, with Gil Evans), “Love Story”, etc…

Following the hit with “Ipanema” her recording career quickly took off. Her first
solo effort, “The Astrud Gilberto Album” was an immediate best-seller and was itself
nominated as album of the year. Her next albums were all chart-toppers and were 
released on a yearly schedule. Her talents were much in demand in other areas as
well as she appeared in two motion pictures, “The Hanged Man” and “Get Yourself 
a College Girl” and also recorded the soundtrack for “The Deadly Affair” arranged
by Quincy Jones. She made appearances in all of the popular US television shows 
of the time, and had TV specials built around her in Europe, Japan and Africa. For
many years she was the voice of Eastern Airlines, having recorded award-winning 
commercials.

In the early seventies Astrud revealed another facet of her talents, her songwriting,
which was introduced on the albums “Astrud Gilberto Now” (1972) and “That Girl From
Ipanema” (1977). On the “That Girl from Ipanema” album Astrud recorded one of her
songs, “Far Away” (with lyrics by Hal Shaper) as a duet with the legendary Chet 
Baker. As she has revealed in interviews, this was one of the most rewarding events
of her career, since Chet has been one of Astrud’s idols dating back to her teenage
years. In 1976, one of her compositions, “Live Today” (co-written with Jerome Schur),
received an award at the Tokyo Music Festival.

In the early eighties, Astrud Gilberto formed a group, a sextet comprised of piano,
bass, drums, trombone, guitar and percussion. Her son, Marcelo Gilberto, joined 
her group as bassist. With this group format, she toured Europe, Japan, Canada, 
and the United States. With the aid of Marcelo’s valuable musical contributions,
she polished the group’s arrangements and entered a different phase in her career,
as her music became more diversified and her songwriting more proliferous. Her shows,
from the beginning of her career up to her last public appearance (2001), have been
usually sold out and at many venues she has broken the house record in attendance.
Seeking for a way to overcome her stage fright, which was sometimes overwhelming,
Astrud attended the Stella Adler School of Acting, for a couple of years, in the
early eighties. The experience was helpful. Although still shy, Astrud learned to
control the stage fright to the extent that she can “live with it”.

Her album “Astrud Gilberto Plus The James Last Orchestra” released in 1987, solidified
her career as songwriter. The album includes a few of her own original compositions
of which “Champagne & Caviar” “Amor e Som” and “I’m nothing without you” (Astrud’s
lyrics to A.C. Jobim’s melody) are best known. The release of this album combined
with the reissuing of some of her early records as CDs has created a whole new generation
of fans for Astrud Gilberto all over the world, in addition to her already large
number of followers. The “Astrud Gilberto Plus the James Last Orchestra” album was
extremely well received by critics, as well as fellow artists.

In 1990, Astrud Gilberto, along with her sons Marcelo Gilberto and Gregory Lasorsa,
formed Gregmar Productions, Inc. In the years that followed, Astrud toured extensively,
developing her live show and writing new material.

In 1992, Astrud received the “Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement” for
her outstanding contribution to Latin jazz music.

In 1995, the first project by Gregmar studios was released on an album as tribute
to Jobim on the label Ps Flag/BMG (”Heirs To Jobim”). The song, “Forever Green” 
one of Jobim’s last compositions before passing away, features saxophonist Michael
Brecker. In that same year, in a sold-out Thursday night appearance, Astrud Gilberto
became the first “Jazz” Artist to sing at the trendy “House of Blues” in Los Angeles,
which had until then presented Blues and Rock acts, exclusively. She has also broken
house records at the very popular “Jazz Cafe” club in London.

In early 1996 the first album from Gregmar was released in the Asian territories,
including Japan, on the Pony Canyon label. It is comprised of various live performances
recorded in NYC in 1989, for which is called “Astrud Gilberto – Live in New York.”

The “Desafinado” duet with George Michael, in 1996 included on the “Red Hot & Rio”
album, gained international attention, and exposed the Bossa Nova style to a large
number of Pop music fans.

Also in 1996, Astrud recorded a duet with French vocalist, Ettienne Daho. The song,“
Les Bordes de Seine” included on Daho’s “Eden” album, was co-written by Daho and
Gilberto and was particularly well received.

In late 1997, a studio album (also by Gregmar Productions), produced by Astrud and
Marcelo Gilberto, was released in the Asian territories by the Pony Canyon label.
Comprised entirely of Astrud Gilberto’s original compositions (with the exception
of just one American standard), the album bears the title of “Temperance.” Yet to
be released outside of Asia, the album features guests Michael Franks and the New
York Voices. Astrud is particularly proud of this work, because it is a labor of
love. Both of her sons, Greg and Marcelo perform on it.

Astrud Gilberto’s sold-out performances at the “House of Blues” and her legendary
shows at NYC’s SOB’s continued to be musical “happenings” to her fans up until 2001,
when she decided to take indefinite time off the road, in order to be able to spend
more time with her family, and do more writing and painting.

Astrud’s style has been a strong influence in contemporary music. Many artists have
revealed the fact that they have been inspired by her musical style, among them:
Basia (who recorded a tribute to Astrud, a song named “Astrud”) Sade, Sinead O’Connor,
Michael Franks, Pat Metheny, and Suzanne Vega. Several “avant-garde” groups have
also professed having Astrud as their “inspiring muse.”

Astrud’s work as songwriter has gradually but surely developed from a “side thing”
in the beginning of her career, to an integral part of it, in the later years. Since
the mid-eighties, her live shows featured a large number of her own original compositions,
to which audiences have been just as receptive as they have always been to old standards
such as “The Girl from Ipanema ,” “One Note Samba,” or “Quiet Nights.”

Astrud Gilberto’s 2002 “Jungle” album release is a showcase of Astrud’s songwriting,
as it features ten original new compositions.

In April of 2002 Astrud Gilberto has been inducted to the “International Latin Music
Hall of Fame”.

![Картинки по запросу Astrud Gilberto](https://i0.wp.com/i.pinimg.
com/736x/bf/65/6a/bf656a2ff4fc0eed08cb236c58ba31d3--cal-soundtrack.jpg?w=640&ssl
=1)

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