Astrud Gilberto

Origin

Salvador, BA

Also known as

Astrud Evangelina Weinert

Years Active

1960–2002

Genres

bossa nova, jazz, MPB

Instruments

vocals

Biography

Astrud Gilberto was a world-renowned Brazilian singer who became the global face of bossa nova. Born in Salvador, Bahia, she moved to Rio de Janeiro as a child, where she grew up in a multilingual and musical household. Despite her natural shyness, she was encouraged to sing by her close friend Nara Leão. She married the legendary musician João Gilberto in 1959, who also became a major supporter of her vocal talent.

Her career took a historic turn in 1963 when she traveled to the United States to participate in the landmark album 'Getz/Gilberto'. Although she had never sung professionally before, her soft, English-language rendition of 'The Girl from Ipanema' (with arrangements by Tom Jobim) became an international sensation. This performance earned her the Grammy for Song of the Year in 1965, making her the first woman to ever win the prestigious award.

Following her initial success, Gilberto launched a prolific solo career that spanned decades and included eighteen studio albums. While she was primarily known for bossa nova and jazz standards, she began recording her own compositions in the 1970s. Although she lived most of her life in the United States and focused her career abroad, her influence on Brazilian music remains monumental. In her later years, she also dedicated herself to visual arts and animal rights activism before her passing in 2023.

Discography

• Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto – The Girl From Ipanema (1964)
• The New Stan Getz Quartet Featuring Astrud Gilberto – Getz Au Go Go (1964)
• The Astrud Gilberto Album (1965)
• The Shadow Of Your Smile (1965)
• Astrud Gilberto / Walter Wanderley – A Certain Smile A Certain Sadness (1966)
• Look To The Rainbow (1966)
• Beach Samba (1967)
• Windy (1968)
• Canta In Italiano (1968)
• I Haven't Got Anything Better To Do (1969)
• September 17, 1969 (1970)
• Astrud Gilberto = アストラッド・ジルベルト – Gilberto Golden Japanese Album = ジルベルト・ゴールデン・ジャパニーズ・アルバム (1970)
• Gilberto Golden Japanese Album (1970)
• Gilberto With Turrentine (1971)
• Le Casse (1971)
• Astrud Gilberto W/ Stanley Turrentine (1971)
• Now (1972)
• That Girl From Ipanema (1977)
• The Girl From Ipanema (1977)
• Shigeharu Mukai + Astrud Gilberto – So & So: Mukai Meets Gilberto (1983)
• James Last / Astrud Gilberto – Plus (1986)
• Live In New York (1996)
• Astrud Gilberto + George Michael – Desafinado (1996)
• Temperance (1997)
• Jungle (2002)
• Stan Getz & Guests Featuring Astrud Gilberto & Chet Baker – Live At Newport 1964 (2014)
• Stan Getz Quartet, Astrud Gilberto – Live At The Berlin Jazz Festival 1966 (2021)
• The Girl from Rio - G.H. (2022)