A self-taught guitarist and singer, Gilberto moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1950 and joined the vocal group Garotos da Lua ("The Boys of the Moon") as their lead singer. After a year and a half, he was kicked out of the group for his lack of discipline and spent the next several years in a marginal existence. Eventually, he found his way, creating a new way to express himself in voice and on the guitar. The result of his obsessive experiments became known as bossa nova.
Bossa nova is a refined version of samba, deemphasizing the percussive aspect of its rhythm and enriching the melodic and harmonic content. Rather than relying on the traditional Afro-Brazilian percussive instruments, bossa nova usually utilizes a drum set. João Gilberto often eschews all accompaniment, using only his guitar, which he uses as a percussive as well as a harmonic instrument. The singing style he developed is almost whispering, economical, and without vibrato. He creates his tempo tensions by singing ahead or behind the guitar.
This style, which Gilberto introduced in 1957, created a sensation in the musical circles of Rio's Zona Sul, and many young guitarists sought to imitate it. It was first heard on record in 1958 when João Gilberto accompanied singer Elizete Cardoso in a recording of "Chega de Saudade", a song by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes. Shortly after this recording, João Gilberto made his own debut single of the same song, followed by the 1959 LP, Chega de Saudade. The song became a hit, launching Gilberto's career and the bossa nova craze.
Besides a number of Jobim compositions, the album Chega de Saudade featured older sambas and popular songs from the 1940s and '50s, all performed in the distinctive bossa nova style. This album was followed by two more in 1960 and 1961, by which time the singer featured new songs by a younger generation of performer/composers such as Carlos Lyra and Roberto Menescal.
By 1962, bossa nova had been embraced by such North American jazz musicians as Herbie Mann, Charlie Byrd, and Stan Getz, who invited Gilberto and Jobim to collaborate on what became one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time, Getz/Gilberto. Through this album, Gilberto's wife, Astrud, became an international star, and the Jobim/de Moraes composition "The Girl from Ipanema" became a worldwide pop music standard for the ages.
João Gilberto continued to perform through the 1960s but did not release another studio album until João Gilberto en México, recorded in 1970 during a period of residence in Mexico. João Gilberto, aka the "White Album" (1973), featured hypnotic minimalist execution and is widely considered to be his best album. The year 1976 saw the release of The Best of Two Worlds, a reunion with Stan Getz, featuring singer Miúcha, sister of Chico Buarque, who had become Gilberto's second wife in April 1965. Amoroso (1977) backed Gilberto with the lush string orchestration of Claus Ogerman, who had provided a similar sound to Jobim's instrumental recordings in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As had been the case for all of Gilberto's albums, the album consisted mostly of Jobim compositions, mixed with older sambas and an occasional North American standard from the 1940s.
Having lived in the US since 1962, João Gilberto returned to Brazil in 1980. The following year saw the release of Brasil, with guests Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, who in the late 1960s had founded the Tropicalia movement, a fusion of Brazilian popular music with foreign pop. The 1991 release, João, with orchestrations by Clare Fischer, was unusual in its lack of even a single Jobim composition, instead featuring songs in English, French, Italian, and Spanish, plus old sambas and the solitary contemporary song "Sampa" (Caetano Veloso). Also released in 1991 was the album Canto Do Pajé by Veloso's sister Maria Bethânia on which Bethânia and Gilberto sing an intimate duet Maria/Linda Flor (Barroso, Peixoto, Vogler, Costa, and Pôrto) accompanied solely by his guitar. João Voz e Violão (2000) was an homage to the music of Gilberto's youth as well as a nod to producer Caetano Veloso.
Evenly interspersed with these studio recordings have been the live recordings, Live in Montreux; João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira; Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar; Live at Umbria Jazz, and Live in Tokyo.
While all of Gilberto's albums since Getz/Gilberto have been released on CD, the first three domestic albums were released in 1988 by EMI on a single CD entitled The Legendary João Gilberto: The Original Bossa Nova Recordings (1958-1961). The disc also included three tracks from the singer's 1959 Orfeu Negro EP: "Manhã de Carnaval," O Nosso Amor, and A Felicidade, the latter two merged into a single medley track to fit within the recording time of a CD. After its release, Gilberto successfully sued to have the title removed from sale as an unauthorized release of his artistic works.
João Gilberto has long had a reputation as an eccentric recluse and a nearly neurotic perfectionist. He lives in an apartment in Leblon, Rio de Janeiro, refusing all interviews and avoiding crowds. He has been known to walk out on performances in response to an audience he considers disrespectful or out of theaters possessing acoustics below his standards, and at times demands that the air conditioning be turned off at concert venues. Yet he continues to perform to sell-out crowds in Brazil as well as in Europe, North America, and Japan.
Discography:
1959 - Chega de Saudade (Odeon)
1960 - O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor (Odeon)
1961 - João Gilberto (Odeon)
1962 - The Boss of the Bossa Nova (Atlantic)
1963 - The Warm World of João Gilberto (Atlantic)
1964 - Getz/Gilberto (Verve)
1965 - Herbie Mann & João Gilberto (Atlantic)
1974 - João Gilberto en Mexico (PolyGram)
1976 - Best of Two Worlds (Columbia)
1977 - Amoroso (Warner Brothers)
1981 - Brasil (Warner Brothers)
1986 - João Gilberto Live in Montreux (WEA)
1991 - João (PolyGram)
2000 - João Voz e Violão (Universal)
2002 - Live at Umbria Jazz (Egea)
2004 - João Gilberto in Tokyo (Verve)
Chega de Saudade
João Gilberto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E diz a ela
Que sem ela não pode ser
Diz-lhe numa prece que ela regresse
Porque eu não posso mais sofrer
Chega de saudade, a realidade é que sem ela
Não há paz, não há beleza, é só tristeza
Não sai de mim, não sai
Mas se ela voltar, se ela voltar
Que coisa linda, que coisa louca
Pois há menos peixinhos a nadar no mar
Do que os beijinhos que eu darei na sua boca
Dentro dos meus braços os abraços hão de ser milhões de abraços
Apertado assim, colado assim, calado assim
Abraços e beijinhos e carinhos sem ter fim
Que é pra acabar com esse negócio de viver longe de mim
Não quero mais esse negócio de você viver assim
Vamos deixar desse negócio de você viver sem mim
Não quero mais esse negócio de você viver assim
The song "Chega de Saudade" is a classic Brazilian bossa nova song written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, famously performed by João Gilberto.The chorus of the song declares "Chega de saudade," which translates to "No more longing" or "Enough longing." The verses imply the singer's intense yearning for a lost love and a willingness to go to great lengths and indulge in extravagant gestures to win her back.
The first verse speaks to the singer's sadness and the incapacity to find beauty and peace without the presence of his former lover. He implores sadness to tell her to return, using a prayer to motivate her to come back. The second verse expresses the playful sentiment of what it would be like for his love to return and describes a sea of kisses and embraces waiting for her. The final verse is a statement of longing and determination to be reunited with his love, referencing an end to the idea, the negócio, of a life lived apart.
Fact 1: João Gilberto's 1959 recording of the song is widely seen as the song that launched bossa nova music genre.
Fact 2: The song was originally recorded with a guitar, a drum, and a single vocal, which helped establish the minimalistic and introspective style of bossa nova.
Fact 3: The song was penned by the iconic songwriting pair of Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, who went on to become two of the most celebrated artists of Brazilian popular music.
Fact 4: Gilberto changed the song's rhythm to the slower and more relaxed beat that became the hallmark of bossa nova music.
Fact 5: The song's popularity soon took off in Brazil and beyond, with the melody and lyrics infusing the world with a sense of romanticism and elegance that continues to endure to this day.
Fact 6: The lyrics are a testament to Brazil's history of longing for lost loves and a deep-rooted romanticism in everyday life.
Fact 7: The song has been covered by a vast array of famous musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and John Pizzarelli, among others.
Fact 8: The song's gentle and flowing melody has been used as a sound effect in numerous films, TV shows, and commercials.
Fact 9: Gilberto's version of the song is still widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and iconic recordings in Brazilian music history.
Fact 10: The chords for Chega de Saudade are fairly simple, consisting of Em7, A7, and Am7, although Gilberto's interpretations and embellishments make the song more challenging to perform.
Chords
Em7 (022030)
A7 (x02020)
Am7 (x02010)
Line by Line Meaning
Vai minha tristeza
My sadness is leaving me
E diz a ela
And tell her
Que sem ela não pode ser
That without her it can't be
Diz-lhe numa prece que ela regresse
Pray to her that she returns
Porque eu não posso mais sofrer
Because I can't suffer anymore
Chega de saudade, a realidade é que sem ela
Enough of this longing, the reality is that without her
Não há paz, não há beleza, é só tristeza
There is no peace, no beauty, only sadness
E a melancolia que não sai de mim
And the melancholy that doesn't leave me
Não sai de mim, não sai
It doesn't leave me, it doesn't leave
Mas se ela voltar, se ela voltar
But if she returns, if she returns
Que coisa linda, que coisa louca
What a beautiful thing, what a crazy thing
Pois há menos peixinhos a nadar no mar
Because there are fewer fish swimming in the sea
Do que os beijinhos que eu darei na sua boca
Than the little kisses I will give on your lips
Dentro dos meus braços os abraços hão de ser milhões de abraços
Inside my arms the hugs will be millions of hugs
Apertado assim, colado assim, calado assim
Squeezed like this, glued together like this, silent like this
Abraços e beijinhos e carinhos sem ter fim
Hugs and little kisses and caresses without end
Que é pra acabar com esse negócio de viver longe de mim
So that we can end this thing of living far from each other
Não quero mais esse negócio de você viver assim
I don't want this thing of you living like this anymore
Vamos deixar desse negócio de você viver sem mim
Let's stop this thing of you living without me
Não quero mais esse negócio de você viver assim
I don't want this thing of you living like this anymore
Lyrics © VM ENTERPRISES INC, Editora e Importadora Musical Fermata do Brasil Ltda., CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION, CONSALAD CO., Ltd., Tratore
Written by: Vinicius De Moraes, Antonio Carlos Brasileiro De A Jobim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nadyaramosgonzalez2006
Vai minha tristeza
E diz a ela que sem ela não pode ser
Diz-lhe numa prece
Que ela regresse
Porque eu não posso mais sofrer
Chega de saudade
A realidade é que sem ela
Não há paz não há beleza
É só tristeza e a melancolia
Que não sai de mim
Não sai de mim
Não sai
Mas se ela voltar
Se ela voltar que coisa linda
Que coisa louca
Pois há menos peixinhos a nadar no mar
Do que os beijinhos
Que eu darei na sua boca
Dentro dos meus braços, os abraços
Hão de ser milhões de abraços
Apertado assim, colado assim, calado assim
Abraços e beijinhos e carinhos sem ter fim
Que é pra acabar com esse negócio
De você viver sem mim
Não quero mais esse negócio
De você longe de mim
Vamos deixar esse negócio
De você viver sem min
@rafaelabittencourtdesouza5351
Como jovem brasileira apreciadora de MPB e bossa nova que sempre ouve dos mais velhos "não há mais música como antigamente" deixo aqui uma lista de artistas atuais que não recém o devido reconhecimento e que possuem músicas lindas
Tim Bernades
Pedro Salomão
Anavitória
Cícero
Phil Verás
Fabiô
Castello Branco
Rodrigo Alarcon
5aseco
Rubel
@williamdrose9350
Most interesting guitar player I ever heard, never mind the outrageous vocal.
I've known several people who can tear off Hendrix or whatever but not a single one who can really find Gilberto. Show me one person who could convince me they're Gilberto, in sound tone and rhythm, who can really do that?
Who can really phrase him??
I listen and play my heart out looking for it.
Everest as for me as a guitar player, not just the upside-down chord voice, not just the infected beat, not just the tone. The whole touch, the whole thing.
I'm not trying to be him but I have to somehow do what he does, somehow. It has to feel that good.
Excuse my google translated Portuguese:
O guitarrista mais interessante que eu já ouvi, não importa o vocal ultrajante.
Conheço várias pessoas que podem arrancar Hendrix ou o que quer que seja, mas não uma única que possa realmente encontrar Gilberto. Mostre-me uma pessoa que poderia me convencer de que é Gilberto, em tom e ritmo, quem pode realmente fazer isso?
Quem pode realmente fraseá-lo?
Eu escuto e toco meu coração procurando por isso.
Everest quanto a mim como guitarrista, não apenas a voz de acordes invertida, não apenas a batida infectada, nem apenas o tom. O toque todo, a coisa toda.
Não estou tentando ser ele, mas tenho que fazer o que ele faz, de alguma forma. Tem que se sentir tão bem.
@tristanvadimterranova8053
This song was the very root of my motivation to learn Brazilian Portuguese.
E agora, entendo tudo.
Tenho saudades do pais que desconheço...
@FelipedeAndrade04
Se um dia visitar o nosso Brasil, tenha certeza que pelo seu ótimo gosto musical, será muito bem vindo pelos melhores brasileiros!!
@marcelogoncalves7649
Muito bacana, Tristan. Será muito bem vindo :)
@jjjthe_dark7260
I thought this was spanish
@tristanvadimterranova8053
@@jjjthe_dark7260
Never say that to a Brazilian...
@manie.8241
The song that made wanna learn was Desafinado
@marlenobohn3889
Hoje eu vivo no Brasil. Mas quando eu era criança na Eslovênia minha avó ouvia essa música em uma vitrom. Eu não imaginava que um dia viveria no Brasil que criou o Bossa Nova
@nihil4305
A vida tem dessas coisas...
@RafaelSilva-tg4yt
E tu tem mó cara de Br mano!! 😂😂😂 Se bem q como dizem, a gente parece com todo mundo!!kkk Abcs aí do Rio!!
@RenegadeShepard69
@@RafaelSilva-tg4yt kkkkk cara e nome. Marleno soa bem brasileiro. Mas é como cê disse, brasileiro parece com todo mundo.