bossa nova is a brazilian musical genre which was influenced by samba and American jazz.
Bossa nova emerged in Brazil at the end of the 50's, in the intimacy of apartments and nightclubs in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro - a stronghold of the middle class - students and young people in general. Initially the term was just used as a new way of singing and playing at that time.
History of Bossa Nova
In March 1959, the recording company Odeon released the album Chega de Saudade, by singer, guitarist and composer João Gilberto who sang softly and discreetly, where the guitar accompaniment had a different beat and harmony, opening a new path for the new song. "I must argue that this is very natural, it's bossa nova", said João Gilberto.
Bossa nova launched not only a musical style, but also a constellation of new composers, lyricists and instrumentalists. Antônio Carlos Jobim, Roberto Menescal and Carlinhos Lyra soon emerged among the most expressive representatives. Initially interested in jazz, the only type of popular music that allowed an evolved instrumental performance, they gradually put the technique in function of Brazilian music.
In musical terms, bossa nova evolved towards the development of melodic creation, the songs became more difficult to be sung, as the complicated melodic incursions required a more harmonic chain evolved. In addition, bossa nova brought economic orchestration, born in apartments.
In Jobim and Newton Mendonça's One Note Samba, the literary text suggests the melodic events and the melody comments the text. Humor, malice, irony were also present in Lôbo bobo de Bôscoli. The tone of protest and nonconformism was constant, as in Terra de nada and Pedro Pedreiro.
As a technically evolved musical movement, bossa nova soon crossed our borders, quickly assimilated in the United States. With the coming to Brazil of Herbie Mann, Charles Byrd, Stan Getz and Zoot Sims, it was soon exported. Accepted and practiced by the best American musicians, including Frank Sinatra.
With the industrialization through show business and television, bossa nova, without losing its intimate and far-fetched style, also opened up to the great spectacle. High-level vocal ensembles and instrumentalists emerged, including Zimbo Trio, Tamba Trio, Quarteto em Cy, MPB-4, Roberto Menescal group, and new composers, singers and instrumentalists, such as Edu Lobo, Elis Regina and Baden Powell.
The spectacular success that definitively consecrated Elis Reginna, Baden, Edu and others was the festival organized by TV Excelsior, from São Paulo, in 1965, in which Arrastão was the winning song. Several singers were already successful in the "time of bossa". From the following festivals came Chico Buarque, Nara Leão, Geraldo Vandré, Caetano Veloso, Os Mutantes, Gal Costa, Rogério Duprat and many others.
Famous bossa nova songs and singers
Some of the most famous bossa nova songs are: Chega de Saudade (João Gilberto), Garota de Ipanema (Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes) and Águas de Março (Tom Jobim).
Among the illustrious bossa nova singers and composers are Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, João Gilberto, Elis Regina, Chico Buarque, Carlos Lyra, Nara Leão, Gal Costa, and Caetano Veloso, among others.
