João Gilberto (João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira, Juazeiro, Bahia, Br… Read Full Bio ↴João Gilberto (João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira, Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil, June 10, 1931 - July 6, 2019) was a Brazilian singer, acoustic guitarist and ocasional songwriter, considered one of the creators of bossa nova with Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes. One of his most famous nicknames is "Pai da Bossa Nova" (Father of Bossa Nova).
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)
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)
wave
João Gilberto Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vou te contar, os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar, é tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas que eu tenho pra te dar
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez era a cidade
Da segunda, o cais e a eternidade
Agora eu já sei da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite vem nos envolver
Vou te contar, os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar, é tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas que eu tenho pra te dar
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez era a cidade
Da segunda, o cais e a eternidade
Agora eu já sei da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite vem nos envolver
Da primeira vez era a cidade
Da segunda, o cais e a eternidade
Agora eu já sei da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite vem nos envolver
Coisas que só o coração pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar, é tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas que eu tenho pra te dar
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
Da primeira vez era a cidade
Da segunda, o cais e a eternidade
Agora eu já sei da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite vem nos envolver
Vou te contar, os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar, é tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas que eu tenho pra te dar
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez era a cidade
Da segunda, o cais e a eternidade
Agora eu já sei da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite vem nos envolver
Da primeira vez era a cidade
Da segunda, o cais e a eternidade
Agora eu já sei da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite vem nos envolver
The lyrics to João Gilberto's "Wave" reflect on the impossibility of being happy alone, emphasizing the importance of love. Gilberto notes how love is something that cannot be seen but only felt in the heart. He goes on to describe the beauty of the unknown, represented by the vastness of the sea and the stars, which he now understands after being surprised by love. The song suggests that love is not something that can be planned or controlled, but rather something that takes us by surprise when we least expect it. Gilberto encourages us to be open to love and to let it envelop us, just as the night envelops us in darkness.
The words of "Wave" speak to the heart and remind us of the need for human connection. Gilberto's smooth vocals and gentle guitar playing create an intimate atmosphere that draws the listener further into the message of the song. The simplicity of the lyrics and the understated melody evoke a sense of peace and contentment, reflecting the idea that love is not about grand gestures but rather about the simple pleasures of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Vou te contar, os olhos já não podem ver
I'll tell you, eyes can no longer see
Coisas que só o coração pode entender
Things that only the heart can understand
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
Love is truly fundamental
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
It's impossible to be happy alone
O resto é mar, é tudo que eu não sei contar
The rest is ocean, it's all that I can't tell
São coisas lindas que eu tenho pra te dar
They are beautiful things that I have to give you
Da primeira vez era a cidade
The first time it was the city
Da segunda, o cais e a eternidade
The second time, the pier and eternity
Agora eu já sei da onda que se ergueu no mar
Now I know of the wave that rose in the sea
E das estrelas que esquecemos de contar
And the stars that we forgot to count
O amor se deixa surpreender
Love allows itself to be surprised
Enquanto a noite vem nos envolver
While the night envelops us
Lyrics © CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Antonio Carlos Jobim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Gabriella Oliveira
Vou te contar
Os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração
Pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar
É tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas
Que eu tenho pra te dar
Vem de mansinho a brisa e me diz
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
Vou te contar
Os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração
Pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar
É tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas
Que eu tenho pra te dar
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
bmorecarlos
Any English-speaking Brazilians, is my translation the correct meaning:
I’m gonna let you in on something:
The eyes cannot yet see
things that only the heart knows.
What really matters is love.
It's impossible to be happy alone.
All else is like the vast ocean.
It’s everything that I’m unable to explain.
There are lovely things I’ve got to share with you.
Softly, the breeze comes along and tells me,
“it's impossible to be happy by yourself”.
First time we met was in the city.
Second time, down by the water and for eternity.
I already know
of the wave that has risen in the sea.
And of the stars we forgot to count.
Love allows itself to surprise,
while evening comes to envelop us.
José Cláudio Barbedo
Que luxo ter vivido no Brasil que teve João Gilberto. Descanse em paz, mestre Gilberto. O país ficou cinza.
STJ
Que triste
Marc Antoni
Rest in peace João.. his voice and music embraced the world...Bossa will be the song for people who loves music.
pneptunes
One of the most beautiful arrangements ever composed and recorded. Eternally grateful
Antonio Garcia Santos Junior
by Claus Ogerman
Leksono Nanto P
agree
Gabriella Oliveira
Vou te contar
Os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração
Pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar
É tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas
Que eu tenho pra te dar
Vem de mansinho a brisa e me diz
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
Vou te contar
Os olhos já não podem ver
Coisas que só o coração
Pode entender
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
O resto é mar
É tudo que eu não sei contar
São coisas lindas
Que eu tenho pra te dar
Fundamental é mesmo o amor
É impossível ser feliz sozinho
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
Da primeira vez
Era a cidade
Da segunda o cais
E a eternidade
Agora eu já sei
Da onda que se ergueu no mar
E das estrelas
Que esquecemos de contar
O amor se deixa surpreender
Enquanto a noite
Vem nos envolver
Jose'Benedito Ferreira
Obrigado gabi,Graças a Vc princesa,vou decorar esta linda poesia ok!👍👏👏🎼🎶🎵Parabens pelo seu bom apurado Gosto musical👍👏👏👍🙋
Cláudia Cristiane
A letra é linda!!😍❤️
Grego Filho
O pai da bossa nova,o gênio dos gênios ,entre os 10 maiores de todos os tempos da música mundial ,o mais importante da música brasileira de todos os tempos,desde criança fiquei fascinado,pelo violão e a afinação da voz juntos , perfeição, o Brasil produziu o que há de melhor na música mundial com João Gilberto,que orgulho eu sinto de ser baiano.