The daughter of a Brazilian mother and a German father, Gilberto was raised in Rio de Janeiro and moved to the USA in the early 1960s. In her mid-teens, she became part of (her own words) a "musical clan" when she met João Gilberto, whom she described as the clan's musical "guru". She married him a few months later, in 1959. She frequently sang duets with him, or sang while he accompanied her on guitar, and he acted as her musical tutor. She also sang publicly with her husband in a concert at the Rio de Janeiro Faculty of Architecture, but did not sing professionally at that time.
The couple moved to the United States in 1963, where she performed on the influential Getz/Gilberto album with João Gilberto, Stan Getz and Antonio Carlos Jobim. While rehearsing "The Girl from Ipanema", João asked her to sing a verse in English, and then persuaded Getz to include this in the final recording. Getz agreed, and Astrud's professional career began. After the recording Getz told Astrud it would make her famous, and was proved correct.
In the mid-1960s the couple divorced.
The success of Gilberto's vocal work on the song "The Girl from Ipanema" quickly turned her into a jazz star, and soon she started recording solo. She started as an interpreter of Brazilian bossa nova and American jazz standards, but started recording her own compositions in the 1970s.
Gilberto's recordings exposed the nations of the World to the sensuality of Brazilian music and to her unique vocal interpretations of American music, such as "The Shadow of your Smile", "It Might as well be Spring", "Fly Me to the Moon", "Look to the Rainbow" (from her album of the same title, with Gil Evans), "Love Story", etc...
Following the hit with "Ipanema", her recording career quickly took off. Her first solo effort, "The Astrud Gilberto Album", was an immediate best-seller and was itself nominated as album of the year. Her next albums were all chart-toppers and were released on a yearly schedule. Her talents were much in demand in other areas as well as she appeared in two motion pictures, "The Hanged Man" and "Get Yourself a College Girl" and also recorded the soundtrack for "The Deadly Affair", arranged by Quincy Jones. She made appearances in all of the popular US television shows of the time, and had TV specials built around her in Europe, Japan and Africa. For many years she was the voice of Eastern Airlines, having recorded award-winning commercials.
In the early seventies, Gilberto revealed another facet of her talents, her songwriting, which was introduced on the albums "Astrud Gilberto Now" (1972) and "That Girl From Ipanema" (1977). On the "That Girl from Ipanema" album, Gilberto recorded one of her songs, "Far Away" (with lyrics by Hal Shaper), as a duet with the legendary Chet Baker. As she has revealed in interviews, this was one of the most rewarding events of her career, since Baker had been one of Gilberto's idols dating back to her teenage years. In 1976, one of her compositions, "Live Today" (co-written with Jerome Schur), received an award at the Tokyo Music Festival.
In the early eighties, Gilberto formed a group, a sextet comprised of piano, bass, drums, trombone, guitar and percussion. Her son, Marcelo Gilberto, joined her group as bassist. With this group format, she toured Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United States. With the aid of Marcelo's valuable musical contributions, she polished the group's arrangements and entered a different phase in her career, as her music became more diversified and her songwriting more proliferous. Her shows, from the beginning of her career up to her last public appearance (2001), have been usually sold out and at many venues she has broken the house record in attendance. Seeking for a way to overcome her stage fright, which was sometimes overwhelming, Gilberto attended the Stella Adler School of Acting, for a couple of years, in the early eighties. The experience was helpful. Although still shy, Gilberto learned to control the stage fright to the extent that she can "live with it".
Her album "Astrud Gilberto Plus The James Last Orchestra", released in 1987, solidified her career as songwriter. The album includes a few of her own original compositions of which "Champagne & Caviar", "Amor e Som" and "I'm nothing without you" (Astrud's lyrics to A.C. Jobim's melody) are best known. The release of this album combined with the reissuing of some of her early records as CDs has created a whole new generation of fans for Astrud Gilberto all over the world, in addition to her already large number of followers. The "Astrud Gilberto Plus the James Last Orchestra" album was extremely well received by critics, as well as fellow artists.
In 1990, Gilberto, along with her sons Marcelo Gilberto and Gregory Lasorsa, formed Gregmar Productions, Inc. In the years that followed, Gilberto toured extensively, developing her live show and writing new material.
In 1992, Gilberto received the "Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement" for her outstanding contribution to Latin jazz music.
In 1995, the first project by Gregmar studios was released on an album as tribute to Jobim on the label Ps Flag/BMG ("Heirs To Jobim"). The song, "Forever Green", one of Jobim's last compositions before passing away, features saxophonist Michael Brecker. In that same year, in a sold-out Thursday night appearance, Astrud Gilberto became the first "Jazz" Artist to sing at the trendy "House of Blues" in Los Angeles, which had until then presented Blues and Rock acts, exclusively. She has also broken house records at the very popular "Jazz Cafe" club in London.
In early 1996 the first album from Gregmar was released in the Asian territories, including Japan, on the Pony Canyon label. It is comprised of various live performances recorded in NYC in 1989, for which is called "Astrud Gilberto - Live in New York".
The "Desafinado" duet with George Michael, in the Fall of 1996 included on the "Red Hot & Rio" album, gained international attention, and exposed the Bossa Nova style to a large number of Pop music fans. "Desafinado" has also been included on George Michael's 1999 release "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Best of George Michael".
Also in 1996, Gilberto recorded a duet with the famous European vocalist, French Pop star, Ettienne Daho. The song, "Les Bordes de Seine", included on Daho's "Eden" album, was co-written by Daho and Gilberto and was particularly well received by "Hip-Hop" fans.
In late 1997, a studio album (also by Gregmar Productions), produced by Astrud and Marcelo Gilberto, was released in the Asian territories by the Pony Canyon label. Comprised entirely of Astrud Gilberto's original compositions (with the exception of just one American standard), the album bears the title of "Temperance". Yet to be released outside of Asia, the album features guests Michael Franks and the New York Voices.
Gilberto's sold-out performances at the "House of Blues", and her legendary shows at NYC's SOB's continued to be musical "happenings" to her fans up until 2001, when she decided to take indefinite time off the "road", in order to be able to spend more time with her family, and do more writing and painting (she is also a fine art artist (click here to view some of her artwork).
Gilberto's style has been a strong influence in contemporary music. Many artists have revealed the fact that they have been inspired by her musical style, among them: Basia (who recorded a tribute to Astrud, a song named "Astrud"), Sade, Sinead O'Connor, Michael Franks, Pat Metheney, and Suzanne Vega. Several "avant-garde" groups have also professed having Astrud as their "inspiring muse".
Gilberto's work as songwriter has gradually but surely developed from a "side thing" in the beginning of her career, to an integral part of it, in the later years. Since the mid-eighties, her live shows featured a large number of her own original compositions, to which audiences have been just as receptive as they have always been to old standards such as "The Girl from Ipanema", "One Note Samba", or "Quiet Nights".
Gilberto's 2002 "Jungle" album release, is a showcase of her songwriting, as it features ten original new compositions.
In April 2002, Gilberto was inducted into the "International Latin Music Hall of Fame".
In November 2008, Gilberto was awarded by the Latin Recording Academy the "Lifetime Achievement" Grammy Award.
Parade
Astrud Gilberto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there′s a lion's parade
And there's a christma′s parade
And passadina parade
And there′s a baby parade
And there's a beauty parade
I guess the point has been made
You only have to say parade
And you′re sure gonna smile
Cause at your chest you got a weight for yourself
For awhile
And then the long procession
There a gigantic volume
Oh not in case
You haven't looked at the sound they produced
There′s a circus parade
And there's a easter parade
July The Fourth a parade
Thanksgiving they have parade
And there′s some battle's parade
Columbia's day a parade
And the policeman parade
In everybody′s parade
And labor day a parade
And there′s a veteran's parade
Inauguration parade
And everything′s a parade
In Astrud Gilberto's song "Parade," the lyrics describe the joy and excitement that parades bring to people. The first stanza lists several types of parades, including a circus parade, a lion's parade, a Christmas parade, and a parade in Pasadena. The following stanzas continue to list different types of parades, such as a baby parade, a beauty parade, and even a policeman's parade. The repeated chorus emphasizes how the mere mention of a parade can put a smile on one's face.
But the lyrics also explore the deeper purpose of parades. They bring people together and create a sense of community. The long procession of a parade creates a sense of unity and shared experience. As the lyrics state, "you only have to say parade and you're sure gonna smile / cause at your chest you got a weight for yourself for awhile." This indicates that the feeling of community and belonging can help alleviate individual burdens.
Overall, "Parade" conveys the idea that parades serve not just as a spectacle but as a way to bring people together in a shared experience of joy and celebration.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a circus parade
There's a parade with circus performers and animals
And there's a lion's parade
There's a parade with lions as the main attraction
And there's a Christmas parade
There's a parade featuring Christmas-themed floats and decorations
And Pasadena parade
There's a parade that takes place in Pasadena, California
And there's a baby parade
There's a parade showcasing babies or for babies to enjoy
And there's a beauty parade
There's a parade where contestants showcase their beauty
I guess the point has been made
It's clear that parades are a beloved form of entertainment
We love to watch a parade
People enjoy spectating at parades
You only have to say parade
The mere mention of a parade can bring happiness
And you're sure gonna smile
It will elicit a positive response
Cause at your chest you got a weight for yourself
You carry a sense of excitement and anticipation for the parade
For awhile
For a temporary amount of time
And then the long procession
After your initial excitement, the actual parade takes place
There's a gigantic volume
A tremendous amount of people and activity in the parade
Oh not in case
You shouldn't be surprised
You haven't looked at the sound they produced
The sound created by the parade participants is impressive
And there's an Easter parade
There's a parade celebrating Easter
July The Fourth a parade
A parade takes place on the Fourth of July
Thanksgiving they have a parade
There's a parade on Thanksgiving Day
And there's some battle's parade
There's a parade commemorating military battles
Columbia's day a parade
Columbus Day is also celebrated with a parade
And the policeman parade
Police officers have their own parade
In everybody's parade
It seems like every group has their own parade
And labor day a parade
There's a parade on Labor Day as well
And there's a veteran's parade
Veterans also have a parade dedicated to them
Inauguration parade
Even presidential inaugurations include a parade
And everything's a parade
Parades seem to be an integral part of many celebrations and events
Writer(s): Chico Buarque, Sidney Keith Russell
Contributed by Carter E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
just sayin
on Who Needs Forever?
The lyrics of Astrud Gilberto's song "Who Needs Forever?" suggest that time is fleeting and that we should seize the moment instead of worrying about what the future holds. The repetition of the question "Who needs forever?" implies that forever is not a necessary or even desirable outcome. Instead, the song encourages the listener to focus on the present and appreciate the moment, rather than getting lost in concerns about the future.
The lines "Time goes so fast, Don't waste this moment, Let's live this moment like it's the last" evoke the idea of carpe diem, or seizing the day. The idea of living in the moment and not worrying about the future is a recurring theme in literature and music, and it is particularly relevant in a fast-paced world where time seems to slip away all too quickly.
Overall, the lyrics of "Who Needs Forever?" encourage us to enjoy the present moment and not worry about what lies ahead. The song suggests that life is short and that we should make the most of every moment.
this is not the original Song of Astrud Gilberto, the Lyrics are here only fragments of the original Song of Astrud Gilberto
I prefer this Remix of Thievery Corpartion more, but here us the original Songtext of the original Song of Astrud Gilberto
[Verse 1]
Who needs forever? Love me today
Let's forget tomorrow, it's too far away
[Chorus]
So hold me, don't waste this moment
Let's live this moment like it's the last
Time goes so fast
[Verse 2]
Love shouldn't linger, love shouldn't wait
When fates allow a choice of now or never
Who needs forever?
[Chorus]
So hold me, don't waste this moment
Let's live this moment like it's the last
Time goes so fast
[Verse 3]
Love shouldn't linger, love shouldn't wait
When fates allow a choice of now or never
Who needs forever?
Forever, forever