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.
She's A Carioca
Antônio Carlos Jobim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here she comes, here she comes
Ela é carioca, she's a carioca*
Just see the way she walks
Nobody else can be what she is to me
I look and what do I see
When I look deep in her eyes
A forgotten road
The caressing skies
And not only that, I'm in love with her
The most exciting way
It's written on my lips
Where her kisses stay
She smiles and all of a sudden
The world is smiling for me
And you know what else
She's a carioca
Ela é carioca
Here she comes
Here she comes
Ela é carioca, ela é carioca
Basta o jeitinho dela andar
Nem ninguem tem carinho assim para dar
Eu vejo na luz dos seus olhos
As noites do rio ao luar
Vejo a mesma luz
Vejo o mesmo ceu
Vejo o mesmo mar
And not only that, I'm in love with her
The most exciting way
It's written on my lips
Where her kisses stay
She smiles and all of a sudden
The world is smiling for me
And you know what else
She's a carioca
Ela é carioca
Here she comes, here she comes
Here she comes, here she comes
The lyrics to Antônio Carlos Jobim's song "She's A Carioca" are a tribute to the unique beauty and charm of a woman from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The song begins with Jobim singing "Here she comes, here she comes" before introducing the object of his affection with the words "Ela é carioca" which translates to "She's a carioca". The Portuguese word "carioca" is informal slang for someone from Rio de Janeiro, and it's clear that the woman Jobim is singing about exudes a certain sense of style and grace as she walks.
Jobim goes on to describe how nothing else can compare to this woman and the way she makes him feel. He speaks of looking into her eyes and seeing the sea, the night sky, and a forgotten road - all elements that evoke the romantic image of Rio de Janeiro. He professes his love for her in the most exciting way possible and reveals that her kisses stay on his lips. When she smiles, the world seems to light up around him as she embodies the essence of carioca charm.
The song is a classic example of the bossa nova genre, which emerged in Brazil in the late 1950s and gained international popularity in the 1960s. It is known for its smooth, jazzy sound and soft, whispery vocals that are often delivered in Portuguese. "She's A Carioca" was released in 1963 and has since become one of Jobim's most famous compositions. Its theme of love and the beauty of Rio de Janeiro has resonated with audiences around the world, and it remains a beloved song today.
Line by Line Meaning
Here she comes, here she comes
Someone is approaching, and the repetition emphasizes the excitement
Ela é carioca, she's a carioca
She is from Rio de Janeiro, and this defines her identity
Just see the way she walks
Her walk is so unique and special that it captures anyone's attention
Nobody else can be what she is to me
She is one of a kind, and no one else can match what she means to me
I look and what do I see
My eyes are drawn to her, and I can't help but admire her
When I look deep in her eyes
Her eyes carry a deep meaning and history that I want to explore
I can see the sea
In her eyes, there is something vast and infinite like the sea
A forgotten road
There is a sense of nostalgia and longing in her expression
The caressing skies
Her presence is soothing and peaceful, like a caress from the sky
And not only that, I'm in love with her
My feelings go beyond admiration, and I am deeply in love with her
The most exciting way
This love is thrilling, and it feels like an adventure
It's written on my lips
I can't contain my feelings and they manifest through my words
Where her kisses stay
The memory of her kisses lingers on my lips and fuels my passion
She smiles and all of a sudden
Her smile has a contagious effect, and everything around us becomes brighter
The world is smiling for me
I feel like the world is responding to my love and acknowledging its existence
And you know what else, She's a carioca
Her identity as a carioca adds to her unique charm and charisma, which only intensifies my love and admiration
Contributed by Nathaniel C. 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.