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)
Prevo de quatro folhas
João Gilberto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Um trevo no meu jardim
Quatro folhinhas nascidas ao léu
Me levariam pertinho do céu
Feliz eu seria e o trevo faria
Que ela voltasse pra mim
Vivo esperando e procurando
Um trevo no meu jardim
Vivo esperando e procurando
Um trevo no meu jardim
Quatro folhinhas nascidas ao léu
Me levariam pertinho do céu
Feliz eu seria e o trevo faria
Que ela voltasse pra mim
Vivo esperando e procurando
Um trevo no meu jardim
The lyrics of João Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Trevo De 4 Folhas" speaks about a man who is eagerly searching for a four-leaf clover in his garden. He believes that discovering it will bring him closer to heaven and will help his loved one come back to him. The song draws a comparison between the rare four-leaf clover and the rarity of love and happiness.
The man's search for the four-leaf clover represents his longing for love and happiness in his life. He hopes that by finding it, he will be able to bring his lover back to him. The metaphor of the four-leaf clover is cleverly presented in the lyrics, as it symbolizes the rare and elusive nature of true love. The lyrics are simple yet heartfelt and create a romantic mood that is typical of Bossa Nova music.
Overall, "Trevo De 4 Folhas" is a beautiful romantic song that speaks to the universal desire for love and happiness. The gentle melody and smooth vocals create a peaceful and romantic atmosphere that is perfect for those moments of quiet contemplation.
Line by Line Meaning
Vivo esperando e procurando
I am always waiting and searching
Um trevo no meu jardim
For a four-leaf clover in my garden
Quatro folhinhas nascidas ao léu
Four leaves growing on their own
Me levariam pertinho do céu
They would take me close to heaven
Feliz eu seria e o trevo faria
I would be happy and the clover would make
Que ela voltasse pra mim
Her come back to me
Vivo esperando e procurando
I am always waiting and searching
Um trevo no meu jardim
For a four-leaf clover in my garden
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: mort dixon, nilo santos pinto, harry m. woods
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GilbertoeGilmarOficial
E vamos de Modão sofridoo! Agradecemos a todos pelo carinho. Esperamos que gostem! Abraços
@aparecidaferrarez6047
Eita coisa linda que modão bonito de mais amo y amuuuuu
Gilbertoegilmar ❤❤❤❤❤❤
@cyneres140
Amei❤❤❤
@paulostarke5234
Muito bom ...
@marcioaraujo9718
Show, bom de mais parabéns Gilberto e Gilmar e continua sempre essa união!
@miguelzinhopatriotabr5058
Aí tem pressão ,essas universitário tá longe das modonas antigas
@thainaaribas
Alguém em janeiro de 2021? Sdds do meu pai que está lá em minas 😢😢 p matar a sdds dele escuto essas músicas antigas e eu amo❤️
@silvioborinelli8842
Pra mim umas das melhores duplas. Nao esses universatarios que eu nao gosto..mas respeito quem gosta. Nem todo mundo tem bom gosto.
@josegilbertodefreitasolive1580
FICO TÃO FELIZ QUANDO OUÇO UMA FILHA FAZER UMA DECLARAÇÃO DE AMOR AO SEU PAI. TENHO OITENTA ANOS, NÃO ESTOU SEND ABUSADO COM PARA VOCÊ, APENAS ME EMOCIONEI. ABRAÇOS
@thainaaribas
@@josegilbertodefreitasolive1580 fique em paz! E muito obrigada! Eu cresci ouvindo músicas antigas e eu amo, tenho 22 anos!