He was a primary force behind the creation of the bossa nova style, and his songs have been performed by many singers and instrumentalists within Brazil and internationally.
In 1965 his album Getz/Gilberto was the first jazz album to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. It also won for Best Jazz Instrumental Album – Individual or Group and for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. The album's single "Garota de Ipanema" ("The Girl from Ipanema"), one of the most recorded songs of all time, won the Record of the Year. Jobim has left many songs that are now included in jazz and pop standard repertoires. The song "Garota de Ipanema" has been recorded over 240 times by other artists. His 1967 album with Frank Sinatra, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim, was nominated for Album of the Year in 1968.
Antônio Carlos Jobim was born in the middle-class district of Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. His father, Jorge de Oliveira Jobim (São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, April 23, 1889 – July 19, 1935), was a writer, diplomat, professor and journalist. He came from a prominent family, being the great nephew of José Martins da Cruz Jobim, senator, privy councillor and physician of Emperor Dom Pedro II. While studying medicine in Europe, José Martins added Jobim to his last name, paying homage to the village where his family came from in Portugal, the parish of Santa Cruz de Jovim, Porto. His mother, Nilza Brasileiro de Almeida (c. 1910 – November 17, 1989), was of Indigenous Brazilian descent from Northeastern Brazil.
When Antônio was still an infant, his parents separated and his mother moved with her children (Antônio Carlos and his sister Helena Isaura, born February 23, 1931) to Ipanema, the beachside neighborhood the composer would later celebrate in his songs. In 1935, when the elder Jobim died, Nilza married Celso da Frota Pessoa (died February 2, 1979), who would encourage his stepson's career. He was the one who gave Jobim his first piano. As a young man of limited means, Jobim earned his living by playing in nightclubs and bars and later as an arranger for a recording label, before starting to achieve success as a composer.
Jobim's musical roots were planted firmly in the work of Pixinguinha, the legendary musician and composer who began modern Brazilian music in the 1930s. Among his teachers were Lúcia Branco and, from 1941 on, Hans-Joachim Koellreutter, a German composer who lived in Brazil and introduced atonal and twelve-tone composition in the country. Jobim was also influenced by the French composers Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, and by the Brazilian composers Heitor Villa-Lobos and Ary Barroso. The bossa nova guitar style in Jobim's music has become firmly entrenched in jazz culture. Among many themes, his lyrics talked about love, self-discovery, betrayal, joy and especially about the birds and natural wonders of Brazil, like the "Mata Atlântica" forest, characters of Brazilian folklore and his home city of Rio de Janeiro.
In early 1994, after finishing his album Antonio Brasileiro, Jobim complained to his doctor, Roberto Hugo Costa Lima, of urinary problems. He underwent an operation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City on December 2, 1994. On December 8, while recovering from surgery, he had a cardiac arrest caused by a pulmonary embolism, and two hours later another cardiac arrest, from which he died. He was survived by his children and grandchildren. His last album, Antonio Brasileiro, was released posthumously three days after his death.
His body lay in state until given a proper burial on December 20, 1994. He is buried in the Cemitério São João Batista in Rio de Janeiro.
Piano Na Mangueira
Antônio Carlos Jobim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Estou aqui na plataforma
Da estação primeira
O morro veio me chamar
De terno branco
E chapéu de palha
Vou me apresentar
À minha nova parceira (majestosa)
Prá mangueira
A minha música não é de
Levantar poeira
Mas pode entrar no barracão
Onde a cabrocha pendura
A saia ao amanhecer da
Quarta-feira, Mangueira
Estação primeira
Pela vida inteira
Mangueira
The song "Piano Na Mangueira" by Antonio Carlos Jobim is a tribute to the Mangueira neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The lyrics describe the composer's arrival at the first train station of the Mangueira district, where he is greeted by the "morro" or hill that symbolizes the community. He is wearing a white suit and a straw hat, ready to meet his new partner, who is referred to as "majestosa" or majestic. He then tells the story of how he sent his piano ahead to the Mangueira district, and although his music is not meant to stir up dust, it can still be played in the shantytown where the lady hangs her skirt out to dry on a Wednesday morning.
The lyrics of "Piano Na Mangueira" are imbued with a sense of respect and admiration for the Mangueira community, which is one of the oldest and most famous samba schools in Brazil. Through his music, Jobim pays tribute to the unique culture and people of Mangueira, highlighting the power of music as a unifying force that transcends boundaries of class and race. The song is a beautiful ode to the strength and resilience of the Mangueira community, where the love of music and the joy of life prevail, despite the harsh realities of life in the favelas.
Line by Line Meaning
Mangueira
The singer is referencing the neighborhood of Mangueira, known for its vibrant music scene and the samba school that bears the same name.
Estou aqui na plataforma
The singer is on the platform of the first train station in Mangueira, likely waiting for someone or something.
Da estação primeira
The singer is specifically at the first station of the train line, indicating they are at the entrance to the neighborhood.
O morro veio me chamar
The hills of Mangueira are said to have summoned the artist, calling them to come and make music in the community.
De terno branco
The artist is dressed in a white suit, which is a symbol of respect and formality in Brazil.
E chapéu de palha
The singer is wearing a hat made of straw, which is practical for the heat and sun of the region and a common accessory for musicians.
Vou me apresentar
The singer is introducing themselves to a new musical partner or perhaps to the Mangueira community as a whole.
À minha nova parceira (majestosa)
The artist is referring to a majestic new partner for making music, perhaps an accomplished singer or an influential musician in the community.
Mandei subir o piano
The artist has brought along a piano and instructed someone to bring it up to the community on the hillside.
Prá mangueira
The piano is being brought to Mangueira as a contribution to the music scene.
A minha música não é de / Levantar poeira
The singer's music is not intended to be high-energy, danceable music but rather something more subtle and contemplative.
Mas pode entrar no barracão / Onde a cabrocha pendura / A saia ao amanhecer da / Quarta-feira, Mangueira
The artist's music may not be loud and energetic, but it is still welcome in the community gathering space, where people hang their skirts out to dry early in the morning after a night of dancing.
Estação primeira / Pela vida inteira / Mangueira
The first train station in Mangueira is an important place for the singer, and they will always identify with the neighborhood's musical culture.
Writer(s): A. C. Jobim, Chico Buarque
Contributed by London H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Richard Norris
on Samba Do Soho
It's "Diadem" which is a fancy headband. Also, I believe this song was written by Jobim's son, Paolo.