Astrud Gilberto

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Astrud Gilberto

| image = Astrud Gilberto 1966 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Gilberto performing in 1966

| birth_name = Astrud Evangelina Weinert

| birth_date = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1940|3|29}}

| birth_place = Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

| death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|2023|6|5|1940|3|29}}

| death_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

| spouse = {{marriage|João Gilberto|1959|1964}}

| partner = Nicholas LaSorsa {{nowrap|(1960s–1980s)}}

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Singer
songwriter
artist

}}

| years_active = 1963–2002

| label = {{flatlist|

}}

| past_member_of = João Gilberto, Stan Getz

| website = {{URL|astrudgilberto.com}}

}}

Astrud Gilberto ({{IPA|pt|asˈtɾud ʒiwˈbɛʁtu|lang}}; born Astrud Evangelina Weinert; March 29, 1940 – June 5, 2023) was a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer and songwriter. She gained international attention in the mid-1960s following her recording of the song "The Girl from Ipanema".

Biography

Astrud Gilberto was born Astrud Evangelina Weinert, the daughter of a Brazilian mother and a German father, in Salvador in the Brazilian state of Bahia, on March 29, 1940. She was raised in Rio de Janeiro. Her father was a language professor, and she became fluent in several languages.{{Cite web |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/astrud-gilberto-singer-life-legacy |title=Why Astrud Gilberto Is So Much More Than 'The Girl From Ipanema' |access-date=21 July 2020 |archive-date=26 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626210642/https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/astrud-gilberto-singer-life-legacy/ |url-status=live}}

She married João Gilberto in 1959. His affair with Miúcha, a Brazilian singer, caused the couple's separation.{{cite news |first=Robin|last=Denselow|title=Astrud Gilberto obituary|date=6 June 2023 |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/06/astrud-gilberto-obituary|access-date=8 June 2023}}{{Cite book |last=Strodder |first=Chris |title=The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool: A Celebration of the Grooviest People, Events, and Artifacts of the 1960s |publisher=Santa Monica Press |year=2007 |location=Santa Monica, CA |pages=132}} According to the Associated Press, their marriage ended in divorce in 1964;{{Cite news |last=Campbell |first=Mary |date=May 16, 1965 |title=Girl From Ipanema Seeks Fame in US |pages=23 |work=New Brunswick Sunday Home News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-new-jersey-home-news/126181713/ |access-date=June 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610204022/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-new-jersey-home-news/126181713/ |archive-date=June 10, 2023 |quote=Astrud, who was married to Joao Gilberto from 1959 until their divorce in December [1964]... |via=Newspapers.com}} but a 2019 Facebook post by their son, João Marcelo Gilberto, said they had "merely separated" and never divorced.{{cite web|last=Fernandes|first=Vagner|title='João Gilberto nunca se divorciou oficialmente da Astrud no Brasil', comenta Marcelo Gilberto em rede social|trans-title="João Gilberto never officially divorced Astrud in Brazil", Marcelo Gilberto comments on social media|url=https://heloisatolipan.com.br/quotes/joao-gilberto-nunca-se-divorciou-oficialmente-da-astrud-no-brasil-comenta-marcelo-gilberto-em-rede-social/|work=Heloisa Tolipan|date=25 July 2019 |quote="A briga pelo espólio do cantor João Gilberto, que morreu em 6 de julho, ganha novos contornos com a publicação de um post no Facebook do filho do artista, Marcelo Gilberto. 'Você sabia? João Gilberto nunca se divorciou oficialmente da Astrud, no Brasil (apenas separado). Ele permaneceu oficialmente casado com Astrud', revelou Marcelo."}}{{cite web|last=Del Ré|first=Adriana|title='Meu pai queria ficar comigo', diz filho de João Gilberto|trans-title='My father wanted to keep me', João Gilberto's son says|url=https://www.estadao.com.br/cultura/musica/meu-pai-queria-ficar-comigo-diz-filho-de-joao-gilberto/|work=O Estado de S. Paulo|date=3 November 2019}}

Astrud Gilberto had another son, Gregory LaSorsa, with a second partner; Gregory performed music with his mother.{{cite interview |last1=Gilberto |first1=Astrud |url=http://www.astrudgilberto.com/interview.htm |title=Interview with Astrud Gilberto |website=astrudgilberto.com |access-date=10 July 2019 |archive-date=18 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918043417/http://www.astrudgilberto.com/interview.htm |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title='He made sure that she got nothing': The sad story of Astrud Gilberto, the face of bossa nova |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/made-sure-she-got-nothing-063354140.html|access-date=21 February 2022 |website=sports.yahoo.com |date=February 15, 2022 |language=en-US|archive-date=21 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221182430/https://sports.yahoo.com/made-sure-she-got-nothing-063354140.html|url-status=live}}{{efn|Another source,The Washington Post, says she did marry Nicholas LaSorsa, and they later divorced.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2023/06/06/astrud-gilberto-samba-ipanema-dies/ |title=Astrud Gilberto, who struck fame with 'The Girl From Ipanema,' dies at 83 |first=Brian |last=Murphy |newspaper=Washington Post |date=June 6, 2023 |access-date=June 10, 2023 }}}}

Gilberto later reportedly had an affair with her husband's musical collaborator, Stan Getz, a saxophonist, during a tour in 1964, which was reported on extensively by the Brazilian press. She later regretted her decision to tour with Getz, who mistreated her, and stated that she had done so because of dire financial need in the wake of her divorce. She described the experience as "tortuous".{{cite news |last=Chilton |first=Martin |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/astrud-gilberto-girl-from-ipanema-b2006879.html |title='He made sure that she got nothing': The sad story of Astrud Gilberto, the face of bossa nova |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=15 February 2022 |access-date=16 February 2022 |archive-date=16 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216061516/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/astrud-gilberto-girl-from-ipanema-b2006879.html |url-status=live}}

She immigrated to the United States in 1963 and settled there permanently.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/06/entertainment/astrud-gilberto-death/index.html |title=Astrud Gilberto, 'Girl from Ipanema' singer who helped bring bossa nova music mainstream, has died |first1=Dan |last1=Heching |first2=Alli |last2=Rosenbloom |date=6 June 2023 |website=CNN}}

Astrud sang two songs on the 1963 album Getz/Gilberto, featuring João, Getz, and Antônio Carlos Jobim.{{cite web |last=Muggiati |first=Roberto |title=Há 50 anos era gravado Getz/Gilberto o LP que colocou o Brasil no mapa |trans-title=50 years ago, Getz/Gilberto recorded the LP that put Brazil on the map |url=http://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/caderno-g/ha-50-anos-era-gravado-getzgilberto-o-lp-que-colocou-o-brasil-no-mapa-azyprk2lwl6vdp6b8crf8vrym |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190129/http://www.gazetadopovo.com.br/caderno-g/ha-50-anos-era-gravado-getzgilberto-o-lp-que-colocou-o-brasil-no-mapa-azyprk2lwl6vdp6b8crf8vrym |archive-date=3 March 2016 |work=Gazeta do Povo (pt) |date=15 March 2013}} While it was her first professional recording, Astrud Gilberto was not entirely a novice. She grew up immersed in music; her mother played multiple instruments. Gilberto sang often with João in Brazil, including a concert performance at the Faculdade de Arquitetura, part of one of the leading universities in Rio de Janeiro. Her whispery voice and steadfast approach to singing played a significant role in popularizing "The Girl from Ipanema", earning a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and a nomination for Best Vocal Performance by a Female.

The 1964 edited single of "The Girl from Ipanema" omitted the Portuguese lyrics sung by João Gilberto, and established Astrud Gilberto as a bossa nova singer. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.{{cite book |first=Joseph |last=Murrells |year=1978 |title=The Book of Golden Discs |edition=2nd |publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/175 175] |isbn=0-214-20512-6| url-access= registration |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/175}} For the recording, Astrud Gilberto only received the standard session fee, US$120. According to writer Gene Lees in Singers and the Song II, Getz asked producer Creed Taylor to ensure she was paid no royalties on the single, which went on to sell more than five million copies. It became one of the most recorded songs in the history of pop music. In 1964, Gilberto appeared in the films Get Yourself a College Girl and The Hanged Man. Her first solo album was The Astrud Gilberto Album (1965). Upon moving to the United States, she went on tour with Getz. Beginning as a singer of bossa nova and American jazz standards, Gilberto started to record her own songs in the 1970s. She recorded songs in Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Japanese.{{Cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2023/06/06/astrud-gilberto-singer-girl-from-ipanema-died-obituary/ |title=Astrud Gilberto, singer who sent bossa nova around the world with her seductive rendition of The Girl from Ipanema – obituary |date=6 June 2023 |newspaper=The Telegraph |url-access=registration}}

File:Astrude Gilberto (1970).tif

In 1982, Gilberto's son Marcelo joined her group, touring with her for more than a decade as a bassist. He also served as her road manager, sound technician and personal assistant. Her son Gregory LaSorsa played guitar on the Temperance album on the song "Beautiful You".{{Cite news |first1=Brian |last1=Murphy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2023/06/06/astrud-gilberto-samba-ipanema-dies/ |title=Astrud Gilberto, who struck fame with 'The Girl From Ipanema,' dies at 83 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=6 June 2023 |url-access=limited}} In 1990 Gilberto and her two sons, João Marcelo and Gregory LaSorsa, together established Gregmar Productions, Inc., a production company aimed at promoting Gilberto's music and developing new material.{{cite web|title=Astrud Gilberto Biography|publisher=Astrud Gilberto|url=http://www.astrudgilberto.com/biography.htm|access-date=8 June 2023}}{{cite web|title=Astrud Gilberto, la fille d'Ipanema et 'reine de la bossa nova'|trans-title=Astrud Gilberto, the Ipanema girl and 'Queen of bossa nova' |date=6 June 2023|work=France 24|agency=AFP|language=fr|url=https://www.france24.com/fr/info-en-continu/20230606-astrud-gilberto-la-fille-d-ipanema-et-reine-de-la-bossa-nova|access-date=8 June 2023}}

Gilberto received the Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1992 and was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2002.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/astrud-gilberto-dead-girl-from-ipanema-singer-dies-1235346745/ |title=Astrud Gilberto, 'The Girl From Ipanema' Singer, Dies at 83 |first=Starr |last=Bowenbank |magazine=Billboard |date=6 June 2023}} In 1996, she contributed to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio produced by the Red Hot Organization, performing the song "Desafinado" (Portuguese for "slightly out of tune", or "off-key") along with George Michael at his invitation. Although she did not officially retire, Gilberto announced in 2002 that she was taking "indefinite time off" from public performances.{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/astrud-gilberto-girl-from-ipanema-b2006879.html |title=The sad story of Astrud Gilberto, the face of bossa nova |date=15 February 2022 |newspaper=The Independent}}

Gilberto's original recording of "Fly Me to the Moon" was featured with Frank Sinatra's version on the soundtrack of Down with Love (2003).{{cite web|first=David|last=Edelstein|title=Walk Away, Renée|date=16 May 2003|work=Slate|url=https://slate.com/culture/2003/05/the-smirky-sex-comedy-down-with-love.html|access-date=8 June 2023}}{{cite magazine|title=Ballads, Classics Dominate 'Down With Love'|date=30 April 2003|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ballads-classics-dominate-down-with-love-71301/|access-date=8 June 2023}} Her recording "Who Can I Turn To?" was sampled by the Black Eyed Peas in the song "Like That" from their 2005 album Monkey Business.{{cite web|first=Rebecca|last=Barry|title=Peas boiling over|date=3 June 2005|work=The New Zealand Herald|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/peas-boiling-over/IAWTOFQLXRGXKCD3BJ3PEDGMWE/|access-date=8 June 2023}} Gilberto's vocals on "Berimbau" were sampled by Cut Chemist in his song "The Garden".{{cite magazine|first=Colin|last= Devenish|title=Cut Chemist's New Cuts|date=18 July 2005|magazine=Rolling Stone|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/cut-chemists-new-cuts-100209/|access-date=8 June 2023}} Her recording of "Once I Loved" was featured in the 2007 film Juno.{{cite web|first=Hazel|last=Cills|title=A Mini Guide to the Best Teen Movie Soundtracks|date=17 April 2015|work=Pitchfork|url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/743-a-mini-guide-to-the-best-teen-movie-soundtracks/|access-date=8 June 2023}} On Basia's 1987 debut album, Time and Tide, the track "Astrud" is a tribute to her idol Gilberto.{{cite web |url=http://www.popentertainment.com/basia.htm |title=Basia interview about 'From Newport to London.' |date=1 October 2011 |publisher=www.popentertainment.com |accessdate=13 September 2018}}{{cite news|first=Kit|last=O'Toole|title=Music Review: Basia – From Newport to London: Greatest Hits Live...And More|date=23 September 2011|work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|url=https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Basia-From-Newport-to-London-2185732.php|access-date=8 June 2023}}

Later in her life, Gilberto was an advocate of animal rights.{{cite web |title=Astrud Gilberto- Animals, They Need Our Help |url=http://www.astrudgilberto.com/animals.htm |last=Gilberto |first=Astrud |access-date=6 April 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060422143644/http://www.astrudgilberto.com/animals.htm |archive-date=22 April 2006 |url-status=dead}} She was the recipient of the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.{{cite web|title=Vikki Carr, Cheo Feliciano, Astrud Gilberto, Angelica Maria, Maria Dolores Pradera, and Estela Raval to Receive the 2008 Latin Recording Academy(R)Lifetime Achievement Award|url=http://hispanicprwire.com/en/vikki-carr-cheo-feliciano-astrud-gilberto-angelica-maria-maria-dolores-pradera-and-estela-raval-to-receive-the-2008-latin-recording-academy-r-lifetime-achievement-award/|website=Hispanic PR Newswire|access-date=February 19, 2016|date=September 30, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302064949/http://hispanicprwire.com/en/vikki-carr-cheo-feliciano-astrud-gilberto-angelica-maria-maria-dolores-pradera-and-estela-raval-to-receive-the-2008-latin-recording-academy-r-lifetime-achievement-award/|archive-date=March 2, 2016|url-status=live}}

Gilberto died at home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 5, 2023, aged 83.{{Cite magazine |url=https://revistaquem.globo.com/noticias/noticia/2023/06/morre-astrud-gilberto-um-dos-maiores-nomes-da-bossa-nova-diz-neta.ghtml |title=Cantora Astrud Gilberto, um dos maiores nomes da Bossa Nova, morre aos 83 anos |date=6 June 2023 |trans-title=Singer Astrud Gilberto, one of the biggest names in Bossa Nova, dies at the age of 83 |magazine=Quem |trans-work=Who |publisher=Editora Globo |language=pt}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/astrud-gilberto-death-girl-from-ipanema-b2352188.html |title=Astrud Gilberto, the voice of 'The Girl From Ipanema', dies aged 83 |date=6 June 2023 |newspaper=The Independent}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/arts/music/astrud-gilberto-dead.html |title=Astrud Gilberto, 83, Dies; Shot to Fame with 'The Girl from Ipanema' |newspaper=The New York Times |date=6 June 2023 |last1=Farber |first1=Jim |url-access=limited}}{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/girl-ipanema-singer-astrud-gilberto-dies-83-2023-06-06/ |title='Girl from Ipanema' singer Astrud Gilberto dies at 83 |work=Reuters |date=6 June 2023 |last1=Boadle |first1=Anthony}}

Selected discography

The Astrud Gilberto Album (Verve, 1965)
The Shadow of Your Smile (Verve, 1965)
A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness (Verve, 1966, with Walter Wanderley){{cite web |title=Astrud Gilberto Discography |publisher=Astrud Gilberto|url=http://www.astrudgilberto.com/discography.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303021703/http://www.astrudgilberto.com/discography.htm |url-status=live|archivedate=3 March 2011 |accessdate=8 June 2023}}
Look to the Rainbow (Verve, 1966)
Beach Samba (Verve, 1967)
Windy (Verve, 1968)
September 17, 1969 (Verve, 1969)
I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do (Verve, 1969)
Gilberto Golden Japanese Album (Verve, 1970)
Gilberto with Turrentine (CTI, 1971)
Now (Perception, 1972)
That Girl from Ipanema (Image, 1977)
Plus (Polydor, 1986, with James Last)
Live in New York (MVP, 1996)
Jungle (Magya, 2002)

References

=Notes=

External links

{{official website|http://www.astrudgilberto.com}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160125042557/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/desperately_seeking_astrud_gilberto-38350599.html "Desperately Seeking Astrud Gilberto"] by Joey Sweeney, Philadelphia Weekly, 5 June 2002. (Archived at Wayback Machine.)
{{IMDb name|0318287}}
{{discogs artist|Astrud Gilberto}}
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIdYg3wy9kI Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz – The Girl From Ipanema] at YouTube