On Monday, Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian singer and entertainer who appeared on the song “The Girl from Ipanema” passed away at the age of 83.
A family friend, musician Paul Ricci confirmed her passing to news outlets and did not provide any additional details.
Astrud Gilberto was born in Salvador, Bahia and raised in Rio de Janeiro. She became a superstar overnight in 1964 while traveling to New York City with her then-husband, Joao Gillberto, and Brazilian bossa nova star Antonio Carlos Jobim. Her rise to fame happened by chance for knowing just enough English to be featured on the classic album.
Her iconic snippet goes as follows:
Tall and tan and young and lovely
The Girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes
Each one she passes goes, “Ah”
“Astrud was the real girl who took bossa nova from Ipanema to the world. She was the pioneer and the best. At the age of 22, she gave voice to the English version of ‘Girl From Ipanema’ and gained international fame. The song, a bossa nova anthem, became the second most played in the world mainly because of her” says Sophia Gilberto, the granddaughter of the singer.
From the ‘70s to the 80s’, Gilberto recorded a series of jazz albums. In 2002, she released her final album before leaving her career in music behind. In her lifetime, Gilberto was awarded a GRAMMY, Lifetime Achievement Award, and inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
Gilberto is survived by her two sons Marcelo and Gregory.
