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)
Fotografia
João Gilberto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aqui neste terraço à beira-mar
O sol já vai caindo e o seu olhar
Parece acompanhar a cor do mar
Você tem que ir embora
A tarde cai
Em cores se desfaz,
Escureceu
E aquela luz
Lá em baixo se acendeu
Você e eu
Eu, você, nós dois
Sozinhos neste bar à meia-luz
E uma grande lua saiu do mar
Parece que este bar já vai fechar
E há sempre uma canção
Para contar
Aquela velha história
De um desejo
Que todas as canções
Têm pra contar
E veio aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
In the first verse of João Gilberto's "Fotografia," the singer describes a scene with two individuals, expressing a sense of closeness and intimacy between them. The setting is a terrace by the sea, as the sun is setting and casting a warm light over the surroundings. The singer notices that the other person's gaze seems to harmonize with the colors of the sea, creating a connection between them and the natural beauty of their surroundings. However, despite the tranquil moment shared between them, there is the inevitable reality of separation looming as the other person must leave. The fading daylight and the darkening colors of the sky and sea reflect the melancholy of their impending parting, yet there is a sense of poignant beauty in the moment they share together.
Moving on to the second verse, the singer and the other person find themselves alone in a dimly lit bar, with the moon rising from the sea outside. The atmosphere is intimate and tinged with a sense of closure, as if the bar is about to close for the night. The presence of the moon casting its glow adds a touch of magic to the scene, enhancing the mood of quiet introspection and wistfulness. The singer reflects on the shared experience of being together in this moment, with the promise of a familiar yet timeless story that unfolds through music and song. It is a moment that encapsulates the universal theme of desire and longing that reverberates through all songs and stories, connecting the singer and the other person in a shared emotional landscape.
As the verse progresses, there is a sense of anticipation and inevitability as the narrative builds towards a climax. The mention of a kiss, "Aquele beijo," signifies a pivotal moment of intimacy and connection between the singer and the other person. This simple yet potent gesture encapsulates all the emotions and unspoken desires that have been building up throughout the song. The kiss becomes a symbol of the unspoken language of love and longing that transcends words, embodying the depth of emotions shared between the two individuals. It is a moment of catharsis and realization, where the barriers between them are momentarily dissolved, and they are brought closer together through this act of intimacy and vulnerability.
In conclusion, "Fotografia" by João Gilberto captures a series of poignant moments between two individuals, set against the backdrop of a seaside terrace and a dimly lit bar. The lyrics evoke a sense of connection, intimacy, and longing that permeate the shared experiences of the singer and the other person. Through the imagery of the setting sun, the rising moon, and the transformative power of a kiss, the song conveys a universal narrative of love, desire, and the bittersweet beauty of fleeting moments. The emotional depth and poetic resonance of the lyrics invite listeners to reflect on their own experiences of intimacy, separation, and the ineffable power of human connection, making "Fotografia" a timeless and evocative meditation on the complexities of the human heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Eu, você, nós dois
The connection between us three
Aqui neste terraço à beira-mar
Here on this terrace by the sea
O sol já vai caindo e o seu olhar
The sun is setting and your gaze
Parece acompanhar a cor do mar
Seems to match the color of the sea
Você tem que ir embora
You have to leave
A tarde cai
The afternoon falls
Em cores se desfaz
Fading in colors
Escureceu
It got dark
O sol caiu no mar
The sun fell into the sea
E aquela luz
And that light
Lá em baixo se acendeu
Down there, it lights up
Você e eu
You and I
Sozinhos neste bar à meia-luz
Alone in this dimly lit bar
E uma grande lua saiu do mar
And a big moon emerged from the sea
Parece que este bar já vai fechar
It seems like this bar is about to close
E há sempre uma canção
And there's always a song
Para contar
To tell
Aquela velha história
That old story
De um desejo
Of a desire
Que todas as canções
That all songs
Têm pra contar
Have to tell
E veio aquele beijo
And then came that kiss
Aquele beijo
That kiss
Aquele beijo
That kiss
Lyrics © CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
blonded yair
Eu, você, nós dois
Aqui neste terraço à beira-mar
O sol já vai caindo e o seu olhar
Parece acompanhar a cor do mar
Você tem que ir embora
A tarde cai
Em cores se desfaz,
Escureceu
O sol caiu no mar
E aquela luz
Lá em baixo se acendeu...
Você e eu
Eu, você, nós dois
Sozinhos neste bar à meia-luz
E uma grande lua saiu do mar
Parece que este bar já vai fechar
E há sempre uma canção
Para contar
Aquela velha história
De um desejo
Que todas as canções
Têm pra contar
E veio aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
b&m
(translation)
me, you, the two of us
Here on this terrace by the sea
The sun is already falling, your eyes
It seems to accompany the color of the sea
You have to go away
the afternoon falls
In colors it comes apart
got dark
The sun fell into the sea
And that light
Down there, it lit up
You and I
me, you, the two of us
Alone in this half-lit bar
And a big moon came out of the sea
Looks like this bar is about to close
There's always a song
To count
that old story
From a wish
That all the songs
have to count
And that kiss came
That kiss
That kiss
Consertos de roupas em Sp - Ellegancy Costuras
É difícil escolher uma única música mais linda na voz do João, mas se eu pudesse escolher pelo menos 3, essa música estaria entre elas.
Natália Mendes
Uma das melhores canções de todos os tempos. Que melodia!
blonded yair
Eu, você, nós dois
Aqui neste terraço à beira-mar
O sol já vai caindo e o seu olhar
Parece acompanhar a cor do mar
Você tem que ir embora
A tarde cai
Em cores se desfaz,
Escureceu
O sol caiu no mar
E aquela luz
Lá em baixo se acendeu...
Você e eu
Eu, você, nós dois
Sozinhos neste bar à meia-luz
E uma grande lua saiu do mar
Parece que este bar já vai fechar
E há sempre uma canção
Para contar
Aquela velha história
De um desejo
Que todas as canções
Têm pra contar
E veio aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
Aquele beijo
dayanes0uza
Puta sensibilidade desse homem pra tirar uma música dessas que te traz aquele mesmo sentimento de um momento vivido e quase esquecido.
Claudia Campos
Ouvindo há horas o show do João Gilberto de 1994, me deparo, paro, nessa que é das coisas cantadas em português do Brasil mais belas que há. Paro pra ouvi-la no mínimo umas três vezes seguidas. Love love love... love is all we need...
capitalgamer
Claudia Campos Simplesmente a pessoa para, fica sem adjetivos pra classificar todos parecem pobres kkk é sublime demais poderia passar o resto da vida escutando
Gomes Neto
Ainda bem que tem Cláudia para ouvir. Parabéns...
Luiz Fernando Davila
NOTA UM MILHÃO ! TOM E JOÃO !
rsinatra
Deus no céu, João Gilberto na terra.
b&m
(translation)
me, you, the two of us
Here on this terrace by the sea
The sun is already falling, your eyes
It seems to accompany the color of the sea
You have to go away
the afternoon falls
In colors it comes apart
got dark
The sun fell into the sea
And that light
Down there, it lit up
You and I
me, you, the two of us
Alone in this half-lit bar
And a big moon came out of the sea
Looks like this bar is about to close
There's always a song
To count
that old story
From a wish
That all the songs
have to count
And that kiss came
That kiss
That kiss