Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 85 - Classic Bossa Nova Songs to Cool You Down in the Summer! Bossa Nova Chronicles, Part II

Exploring the Charm of Dehumidifier-Like Relaxation Music: Bossa Nova

Bossa nova’s musical characteristics combine unique syncopation with vocals layered over complex tension chords, creating the ultimate relaxation music infused with saudade. Listening to bossa nova on a humid summer day gives the illusion that the humidity around you has dropped, and a refreshing breeze is blowing. I highly recommend listening to bossa nova this summer.
Continuing from the previous discussion, we will explore classic bossa nova albums and songs from various angles, including composers and performers.

Bossa Nova: Brazilian Music Filled with Saudade

Bossa nova emerged in Brazil in the late 1950s as a music style that features vocals layered over intricate tension chords. Brazil has a unique cultural concept known as saudade, and bossa nova is one of the genres that strongly embodies this sentiment. Saudade is often translated into Japanese as “a certain kind of nostalgia” or “melancholy”. Bossa nova blends its floating melodies with this saudade, creating a musical experience that soothes the soul.

■ Recommended Album: The Legendary Bossa Nova Masterpiece Getz/Gilberto (1964)

/Gilberto is the historic album that ignited the global bossa nova boom. It was the fateful encounter of Stan Getz (ts), João Gilberto (g&vo), and Antonio Carlos Jobim (p) that gave birth to this masterpiece.
The greatness of this album lies not only in the quality of its compositions but also in the brilliance of its performances.

However, behind this miraculous collaboration of the three musicians, several legendary anecdotes persist.
One of the most famous is the story of João Gilberto (g&vo) listening to Getz’s (ts) playing and instructing Jobim (p) to tell him in Portuguese, “Tell him he’s an idiot.” But since Jobim was fluent in English, he instead translated it as, “João is delighted to be playing with you.”
At the time, Getz was a superstar in the tenor saxophone world and may not have cared much about the opinions of rural Brazilian musicians.
On the other hand, from João’s perspective, bossa nova in Brazil at the time did not prominently feature saxophones. He may have felt that Getz’s jazz-style approach was too intrusive.

That said, Getz’s improvisations were simply extraordinary. Where did such beautiful melodies come from? His phrases, flowing effortlessly throughout the piece, sound as if they were written out—though they clearly weren’t. It’s as if angels smiled upon every note.

The producer behind this album was the legendary Creed Taylor, who later founded Impulse! and CTI Records. As an American like Getz, Taylor likely played a crucial role in mediating between the three musicians and bringing out their best elements. In that sense, this album can be seen as an American interpretation of bossa nova—a response to Brazil. While some bossa nova purists criticized it for being too commercial, the album ultimately became a massive hit.。

As a testament to its impact, Getz/Gilberto won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and Best Engineered Recording. Additionally, “Desafinado” won Best Jazz Instrumental Performance.

Without overthinking it, I encourage you to simply immerse yourself in the album. A cool breeze is sure to follow!

The Unsung Hero Behind Getz/Gilberto: Antonio Carlos Jobim

Beyond its innovative performance style, another defining characteristic of this album is its remarkable songwriting. Six of the eight tracks were composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Starting with “The Girl from Ipanema”, the album features historical classics like “Corcovado”, “Desafinado”, and “Só Danço Samba”, all of which have been widely covered by musicians worldwide.
Interestingly, Jobim originally studied architecture rather than music. Given this background, it’s tempting to think that his approach to composing bossa nova was as meticulous and structured as architectural design.
In addition to being one of Brazil’s most iconic musicians, Jobim was deeply involved in environmental conservation and the protection of the Amazon rainforest—values that were also reflected in his later albums.

Recommended Song: “The Girl from Ipanema”

Arguably the most famous bossa nova song in the world, “The Girl from Ipanema” was composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, with lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes—one of the greatest songwriting duos in bossa nova history.
Inspired by a beautiful girl who walked past while Vinícius was having tea at a café, the song captures the fleeting beauty of life. Its light and floating melody, combined with an accessible structure, made it the centerpiece of the global bossa nova boom.

On the original recording, João Gilberto first sings the lyrics in Portuguese, followed by his wife, Astrud Gilberto, singing in English. However, in the U.S. single release, João’s opening verse was removed, starting directly with Astrud’s English vocals. This version became a massive hit in the States, propelling Astrud Gilberto to international fame. Astrud herself was not originally a professional singer—legend has it that her casual humming while cooking in the kitchen was so good that she was asked to record vocals for the album.

Astrud Gilberto sings on two tracks in this album: “The Girl from Ipanema” and “Corcovado”. Following the success of this album, she released numerous records, with her debut album standing out for its purity and charm.

Recommended Song: “Corcovado”

One of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s signature compositions, “Corcovado” was written and composed by Jobim himself. The song portrays an intimate night time love story.

From the unforgettable A-section to the chorus, its meticulously crafted melody showcases an architectural beauty that reflects Jobim’s background in architecture.

Astrud Gilberto’s unpretentious vocal delivery contrasts beautifully with Jobim’s intricate composition. This song, too, has been covered extensively by jazz musicians. One reason could be that its evolving chord progressions align well with jazz idioms, making it especially appealing to musicians.

Musicians, Albums, and Tracks Featured in This Article

• Musicians: Stan Getz, Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto
• Album: Getz/Gilberto
• Recommended Tracks: “The Girl from Ipanema”, “Corcovado”

⇨List of Pianos/Synthesizers

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