Bossa nova is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovative syncopation of traditional samba from a single rhythmic division. The "bossa nova beat" is characteristic of a samba style and not of an autonomous genre.
Carlos Eduardo Lyra Barbosa is a Brazilian singer and composer of numerous bossa nova and Música popular brasileira classics. He and Antonio Carlos Jobim, were the first two music composers, together with lyricists Vinicius de Moraes and Ronaldo Boscoli, to be recorded by João Gilberto on his first LP entitled Chega de Saudade (1959), which was called the first generation of Bossa Nova.
Eumir Deodato de Almeida is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, Latin and bossa nova.
Getz/Gilberto is an album by American saxophonist Stan Getz and Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto, featuring pianist and composer Antônio Carlos Jobim, who also composed many of the tracks. It was released in March 1964 by Verve Records. The album features the vocals of Astrud Gilberto on two tracks, "Garota de Ipanema" and "Corcovado". The artwork was done by artist Olga Albizu. Getz/Gilberto is a jazz and bossa nova album and includes tracks such as "Desafinado", "Corcovado", and "Garota de Ipanema". The last received a Grammy Award for Record of the Year and started Astrud Gilberto's career. "Doralice" and "Para Machucar Meu Coração" strengthened Gilberto's and Jobim's respect for the tradition of pre-bossa nova samba.
Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos, known professionally as Gal Costa, was a Brazilian singer of popular music. She was one of the main figures of the tropicalia music scene in Brazil in the late 1960s and appeared on the acclaimed compilation Tropicália: ou Panis et Circenses (1968).
Erasmo Carlos is a Brazilian singer and songwriter, most closely associated with his friend and longtime collaborator Roberto Carlos. Together, he created many chart hits including "É Proibido Fumar", "Sentado à beira do caminho", "Além do Horizonte", "Amigo" and "Festa de Arromba".
Elenco is a Brazilian record label established in 1963 by Aloysio de Oliveira. It was a major factor in the development of the bossa nova style, also releasing samba, jazz, and spoken word recordings. It is often considered one of the most influential labels in the bossa nova and MPB genres.
Nara Lofego Leão was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB singer and occasional actress. Her husband was Carlos Diegues, director and writer of Bye Bye Brasil.
Marcos Kostenbader Valle is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has produced works in many musical styles, including bossa nova, samba, and fusions of rock, soul, jazz, and dance music with Brazilian styles. Valle is credited for popularizing bossa nova in the 1960s.
João Donato de Oliveira Neto is a Brazilian jazz and bossa nova pianist from Brazil. He first worked with Altamiro Carrilho and went on to perform with Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Gilberto.
"Samba de uma Nota Só", known in English as "One Note Samba", is a bossa nova and jazz standard song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with Portuguese lyrics by Newton Mendonça. The English lyrics were written by Jon Hendricks. It was first recorded by João Gilberto in 1960 for his album O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor.
Moacir Santos was a Brazilian composer, multi-instrumentalist and music educator. Musicians such as Baden Powell, Bola Sete and Wilson das Neves studied under him. As a composer, Santos worked with Nara Leão, Roberto Menescal, Sérgio Mendes and Lynda Laurence, among others. His music was highly respected by musicians in Brazil and the United States, despite never achieving wider recognition.
Bob Tostes is a singer, composer and producer of Rádio Guarani FM, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In 1969 he was the leader of a local group of the Musicanossa movement, which was set up in Rio de Janeiro by composer Roberto Menescal. In the same year he was a final contestant of the local phase of the IV Festival Internacional da Canção, with the tunes "Caminhada" and "Noite mais linda". In the 70s he directed and produced FEC - Festival Estudantil da Canção which counted with the participation of the novices Lô Borges, Beto Guedes, Flávio Venturini, Toninho Horta, Túlio Mourão, Tavinho Moura and Ivan Lins. The festival unveiled the song Clube da Esquina. Bob Tostes graduated in Law from UFMG - the local state-owned university in 1971 and registered for the Communication Course at [Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais]. In the 70s he composed soundtracks for children plays put up by the "Teatro de Equipe" including "O Cavalinho Azul" by Maria Clara Machado and "Casaco Encantado", which was directed by Priscila Freire. He also wrote for musical columns in newspapers, Diário da Tarde and Diário do Comércio in 1960, 1970 and 1980. In the 90s he published essays in the "Pensar" section of the major newspaper Estado de Minas.
Dez anos depois is a 1971 double album of bossa nova standards by Brazilian singer Nara Leão.
Ugo Marotta is a Brazilian musician, conductor, arranger, composer, keyboards and vibraphonist. He took part at the Brazilian music movements Bossa Nova and Musicanossa.
Pery Ribeiro was a Brazilian singer of bossa nova, MPB and jazz, active as a singer from 1959 until shortly before his death.
Elis & Toots is a 1969 bossa nova album by Brazilian singer Elis Regina and Belgian jazz musician Toots Thielemans recorded at a studio in Sweden and released on Philips Records. It features Toots Thielemans on harmonica, whistling and vocalizing playing guitar alongside. Thielemans and Elis Regina are actually heard on just four songs together, they both sit out on four of the twelve tracks. The accompanying quintet throughout comprises pianist Antônio Adolfo, Roberto Menescal, guitarist and the composer of four songs on the album, bassist Jurandir Duarte, Wilson das Neves on drums and Hermes Contesini on percussion. On three tracks Claes Rosendahl wrote arrangements for an additional string section.
Bossa Nova Pelos Passaros is an album by American jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd featuring tracks recorded in 1962 and released on the Riverside label.
"A felicidade" ("Happiness") is a bossa nova song by Antônio Carlos Jobim, with lyrics by Vinícius de Moraes, composed in 1958 for the French film Orfeu Negro.
"Vivo Sonhando" is a bossa nova song from 1962 with words and music by Antônio Carlos Jobim. English lyrics were added later by Gene Lees.
