Musician. Known as the King of Bossa Nova, he was a Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist who was a musical pioneer of the Bossa Nova movement, a style of Brazilian music popularized in the 1950s and 1960s. Born João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira in Juazeiro, Bahia, he received his first guitar from his grandfather at the age of 14. He dropped out of school at the age of 18 and became a crooner at the Rádio Sociedade da Bahia. He developed his musical style which was based on the samba music he heard growing up using the acoustics in his sister's bathroom. He took all the various instruments and distilled it to one voice and one guitar, combining samba and jazz using a syncopated rhythm of plucked chords. His methods have been compared to the less-is-more music styles of Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. In 1963 he collaborated with the American jazz musician Stan Getz on the album "Getz/Gilberto." His wife, Astrud Gilberto, sang vocals in English and she is the featured singer on the hit single "The Girl from Ipanema." At the 7th Annual Grammy Awards, the album received three awards,including Album of the Year. This was the first time a jazz album had won in this category. He teamed again with Getz on three more albums, "Getz/Gilberto Vol. 2, The Best of Two Worlds," and "Getz/Gilberto '76." His music is featured on 36 albums, including "João Voz e Violão," recorded in 2000, which garnered him a Grammy nomination for Best Music World Album. He was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Musician. Known as the King of Bossa Nova, he was a Brazilian singer, songwriter and guitarist who was a musical pioneer of the Bossa Nova movement, a style of Brazilian music popularized in the 1950s and 1960s. Born João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira in Juazeiro, Bahia, he received his first guitar from his grandfather at the age of 14. He dropped out of school at the age of 18 and became a crooner at the Rádio Sociedade da Bahia. He developed his musical style which was based on the samba music he heard growing up using the acoustics in his sister's bathroom. He took all the various instruments and distilled it to one voice and one guitar, combining samba and jazz using a syncopated rhythm of plucked chords. His methods have been compared to the less-is-more music styles of Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. In 1963 he collaborated with the American jazz musician Stan Getz on the album "Getz/Gilberto." His wife, Astrud Gilberto, sang vocals in English and she is the featured singer on the hit single "The Girl from Ipanema." At the 7th Annual Grammy Awards, the album received three awards,including Album of the Year. This was the first time a jazz album had won in this category. He teamed again with Getz on three more albums, "Getz/Gilberto Vol. 2, The Best of Two Worlds," and "Getz/Gilberto '76." His music is featured on 36 albums, including "João Voz e Violão," recorded in 2000, which garnered him a Grammy nomination for Best Music World Album. He was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2001.
Bio by: Apollymi
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