Astrud Gilberto R.I.P.

[AcornHouse]

She was the voice of bossa nova, THE girl from ipanema. Her voice was understated but perfect for that quiet night sound.

 

[Westerly Wood]

oh yeah, one of the coolest, greatest and most hauntingly beautiful voices of all time. Instantly recognizable and super difficult to replicate. A true original. For me, only Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star came close.

 

[HeyMikey]

She makes my knees quiver. What a voice. Rest in Peace Astrud

 

[GGJaguar]

A unique talent that helped define a genre.

 

[Westerly Wood]

"Getz/Gilberto" sold more than 2 million copies and "The Girl from Ipanema," released as a single with Astrud Gilberto as the only vocalist, became an all-time standard, often ranked just behind "Yesterday" as the most covered song in modern times.

 

[Teleguy61]

Astrud was a true original, just exactly the right voice at the right time.
There are many other wonderful bossa/samba vocalists.
I like also Elis Regina, also gone too young.

 

[gjmalcyon]

Astrud was a true original, just exactly the right voice at the right time.
There are many other wonderful bossa/samba vocalists.
I like also Elis Regina, also gone too young.

God, I love that album, Elis & Tom. I discovered it several years ago and it's been in heavy rotation ever since.

And thanks for that video - that's exactly how I pictured the recording session.

 

[walrus]

So many great versions of this song. I always loved the "coolness" of this clip:



walrus

 

[gjmalcyon]

Astrud was repeatedly screwed by people in the recording industry, starting with Getz cutting her out of any royalties from The Girl From Ipanema. She was paid scale for that recording session, her first: $120. Getz made an estimated million dollars from it. That happened over and over to her.

She was on the recording because her then-husband, Joao Gilberto, couldn't sing the English lyrics; Astrud volunteered. She just happened to be in the control room watching the session.

She became embittered and spent the latter part of her life a recluse, living the the Society Hill Towers condo in Philly. Many people tried to speak with her, interview her, express appreciation for her, and she refused them all, seeing only her family.

An interesting clip from the "Get Yourself A College Girl" movie:

 

[Cougar]

Wow. How could anyone with that voice ever die?

 

[Uke]

The lyricist/poet Vinicius de Moraes, describing the girl in his The Girl From Impanema said that she was "the paradigm of the young Carioca: a golden teenage girl, a mixture of flower and mermaid, full of light and grace, the sight of whom is also sad, in that she carries with her, on her route to the sea, the feeling of youth that fades, of the beauty that is not ours alone -- it is a gift of life in its beautiful and melancholic ebb and flow."

 

[Westerly Wood]

"the paradigm of the young Carioca: a golden teenage girl, a mixture of flower and mermaid, full of light and grace, the sight of whom is also sad, in that she carries with her, on her route to the sea, the feeling of youth that fades, of the beauty that is not ours alone -- it is a gift of life in its beautiful and melancholic ebb and flow."

he probably took a big bong hit first, before this...

 

[Teleguy61]

The lyricist/poet Vinicius de Moraes, describing the girl in his The Girl From Impanema said that she was "the paradigm of the young Carioca: a golden teenage girl, a mixture of flower and mermaid, full of light and grace, the sight of whom is also sad, in that she carries with her, on her route to the sea, the feeling of youth that fades, of the beauty that is not ours alone -- it is a gift of life in its beautiful and melancholic ebb and flow."

So well said, and that is what Astrud portrays so well in her singing.

 

[Harp Tail]

Muita saudade, queridos amigos.. I used to hang with her daughter Bebel here in NYC, and I've eaten several times in the Ipanema restaurant where - according to the lore - the song had been conceived

 

[Harp Tail]

My apologies... just found out Bebel isn't Astrud's daughter

 

[HeyMikey]

Astrud was a true original, just exactly the right voice at the right time.
There are many other wonderful bossa/samba vocalists.
I like also Elis Regina, also gone too young.

That… that was amazing!

 

[Harp Tail]

we all love Guilds but who wouldn't like an original Del Vecchio from Sao Paulo? Chet Atkins used to love his own

 

[Bill Ashton]

Astrud was repeatedly screwed by people in the recording industry, starting with Getz cutting her out of any royalties from The Girl From Ipanema. She was paid scale for that recording session, her first: $120. Getz made an estimated million dollars from it. That happened over and over to her.

She was on the recording because her then-husband, Joao Gilberto, couldn't sing the English lyrics; Astrud volunteered. She just happened to be in the control room watching the session.

She became embittered and spent the latter part of her life a recluse, living the the Society Hill Towers condo in Philly. Many people tried to speak with her, interview her, express appreciation for her, and she refused them all, seeing only her family.

An interesting clip from the "Get Yourself A College Girl" movie:

I remember seeing this movie in the local theater as a kid! Cannot remember anything about the film, probably terribly banal and inspid, only wanted to see the rock groups. Do remember Astrid though, standing ramrod straight on a little platform, never moving just singing.

Sad, RIP lovely lady

 

[davismanLV]

There's something so amazingly haunting about her voice. Clear, pure, raw.... no fluff. She was 83. She got a raw deal in the music industry. RIP dear lady.