Bossa nova is a relaxed style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a calm syncopated rhythm with chords and fingerstyle mimicking the beat of a samba groove, as if it was a simplification and stylization on the guitar of the rhythm produced by a samba school band. Another defining characteristic of the style is the use of unconventional chords in some cases with complex progressions and "ambiguous" harmonies. A common misconception is that these complex chords and harmonies were derived from jazz, but samba guitar players have been using similar arrangement structures since the early 1920s, indicating a case of parallel evolution of styles rather than a simple transference from jazz to bossa nova. Nevertheless, bossa nova was influenced by jazz, both in the harmonies used and also by the instrumentation of songs, and today many bossa nova songs are considered jazz standards. The popularity of bossa nova has helped to renew samba and contributed to the modernization of Brazilian music in general.
Eumir Deodato de Almeida is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, Latin and bossa nova.
Getz/Gilberto is an album by American saxophonist Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto, featuring pianist and composer Antônio Carlos Jobim, who also composed many of the tracks. It was released in March 1964 by Verve Records. The album features the vocals of Astrud Gilberto on two tracks, "Garota de Ipanema" and "Corcovado". The artwork was done by artist Olga Albizu. Getz/Gilberto is a jazz and bossa nova album and includes tracks such as "Desafinado", "Corcovado", and "Garota de Ipanema". The last received a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and started Astrud Gilberto's career. "Doralice" and "Para Machucar Meu Coração" strengthened Gilberto's and Jobim's respect for the tradition of pre-bossa nova samba.
Elenco is a Brazilian record label established in 1963 by Aloysio de Oliveira. It was a major factor in the development of the bossa nova style, also releasing samba, jazz, and spoken word recordings. It is often considered one of the most influential labels in the bossa nova and MPB genres.
Nara Lofego Leão was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB singer and occasional actress. Her husband was Carlos Diegues, director and writer of Bye Bye Brasil.
Roberto Menescal is a Brazilian composer, record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and pioneer of bossa nova. In many of his songs there are references to the sea, including his best-known composition "O Barquinho". He is also known for work with Carlos Lyra, Nara Leão, Wanda Sá, Ale Vanzella, and many others. Menescal has performed in Latin music genres such as Música popular brasileira, bossa nova, and samba. He was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his work with his son's bossa group Bossacucanova in 2002 and received the 2013 Latin Recording Academy Special Awards in Las Vegas in November 2013.
Marcos Kostenbader Valle is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has produced works in many musical styles, including bossa nova, samba, and fusions of rock, soul, jazz, and dance music with Brazilian styles. Valle is credited for popularizing bossa nova in the 1960s.
The 3rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards were held in Los Angeles at the Kodak Theatre on Wednesday, September 18, 2002. Alejandro Sanz was the night's big winner, winning a total of three awards including Album of the Year. The ceremony returned in style after the 2001 ceremony was cancelled because of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks across America.
Silvia D'Atri Telles was a Brazilian jazz Samba and Bossa Nova singer and composer of the 1950s and 1960s, considered one of the major artists of Bossa Nova and MPB. Most of her original recordings are out of print, though occasional compilations are released.
Som Livre is a Brazilian record company that was founded in March 1969 in order to commercialize the soundtracks for TV Globo soap operas and later expanded to recording studio albums. As of 2024, it is owned by Sony Music.
Bob Tostes is a singer, composer and producer of Rádio Guarani FM, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In 1969 he was the leader of a local group of the Musicanossa movement, which was set up in Rio de Janeiro by composer Roberto Menescal. In the same year he was a final contestant of the local phase of the IV Festival Internacional da Canção, with the tunes "Caminhada" and "Noite mais linda". In the 70s he directed and produced FEC - Festival Estudantil da Canção which counted with the participation of the novices Lô Borges, Beto Guedes, Flávio Venturini, Toninho Horta, Túlio Mourão, Tavinho Moura and Ivan Lins. The festival unveiled the song Clube da Esquina. Bob Tostes graduated in Law from UFMG - the local state-owned university in 1971 and registered for the Communication Course at [Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais]. In the 70s he composed soundtracks for children plays put up by the "Teatro de Equipe" including "O Cavalinho Azul" by Maria Clara Machado and "Casaco Encantado", which was directed by Priscila Freire. He also wrote for musical columns in newspapers, Diário da Tarde and Diário do Comércio in 1960, 1970 and 1980. In the 90s he published essays in the "Pensar" section of the major newspaper Estado de Minas.
Dez Anos Depois is a 1971 double album of bossa nova standards by Brazilian singer Nara Leão.
Ugo Marotta is a Brazilian musician, conductor, arranger, composer, keyboardist and vibraphonist. He took part at the Brazilian music movements Bossa Nova and Musicanossa.
Leila Pinheiro is a Brazilian Bossa Nova singer, pianist and composer. Her self-titled debut album had the guest performances of Tom Jobim, João Donato, Ivan Lins, Francis Hime, and Toninho Horta, and she later went on to perform with artists such as Zimbo Trio, Pat Metheny, Baden Powell and Toquinho.
Humberto Clayber de Souza is a Brazilian composer and musician. He was considered one of the best Bossa Nova bass players in 1960s and actually is acclaimed as one of the best harmonica players of the world. He played with many famous artists along his career, such as Cesar Camargo Mariano, Airto Moreira, Hermeto Pascoal and Manfredo Fest.
Wanda Maria Ferreira de Sá is a Brazilian bossa nova singer and guitarist, active from 1964 to the present day.
Elis & Toots is a 1969 bossa nova album by Brazilian singer Elis Regina and Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans recorded at a studio in Sweden and released on Philips Records. It features Toots Thielemans on harmonica, whistling and vocalizing playing guitar alongside. Thielemans and Elis Regina are actually heard on just four songs together, they both sit out on four of the twelve tracks. The accompanying quintet throughout comprises pianist Antônio Adolfo, Roberto Menescal, guitarist and the composer of four songs on the album, bassist Jurandir Duarte, Wilson das Neves on drums and Hermes Contesini on percussion. On three tracks Claes Rosendahl wrote arrangements for an additional string section.
Ale Vanzella is a Brazilian musician who mixes bossa nova with indie rock. He is originally from Guaporé in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.
Improviso Negro is an album by Brazilian samba-jazz group Sambalanço Trio released in 1965.
Sambalanço Trio is the debut album by Brazilian samba-jazz group Sambalanço Trio, released in 1964. The album was reissued later that year as Samblues.
