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Astrud Gilberto, Bossa Nova Icon, Dead at 83

Photo: Donaldson Collection/Getty Images

The Brazilian singer Astrud Gilberto, who brought bossa nova to the masses with her version of “The Girl From Ipanema,” died on June 5. She was 83. Paul Ricci, her former collaborator, confirmed the news on Facebook, per The Guardian, at the request of Gilberto’s son Marcelo. “She was an important part of ALL that is Brazilian music in the world and she changed many lives with her energy,” Ricci wrote. Gilberto’s marriage to the “Father of Bossa Nova,” guitarist João Gilberto, led her to record a take on “The Girl From Ipanema” in 1963. Her then-husband had traveled to New York City to record with saxophonist Stan Getz and bossa nova musician Antônio Carlos Jobim, and during their performance of the song, they invited Astrud — who had no recording experience — to sing. The recording was originally a duet between Astrud and João, but a later cut only featuring Astrud’s vocals became a hit, peaking at No. 5 in the U.S. and winning the Grammy for Record of the Year. That song sparked Astrud Gilberto’s music career, and she toured the U.S. with Getz in 1964 and released her debut solo album the following year (all shortly after her divorce from João). Gilberto released over a dozen albums and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Grammys in 2008.

Astrud Gilberto, Bossa Nova Icon, Dead at 83