Bossa Nova

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The Portuguese phrase "Bossa Nova" translates as "new trend" and defines the Brazilian popular music that evolved in the late 1950s from a fusion of samba (a Brazilian dance and music) and cool jazz. The composer Antonio Carlos Jobim and the guitarist João Gilberto may be considered the founders of this style. Instrumentation can be varied but is purposely simple, limited to a few rhythm instruments. In vocalized passages, the musical background becomes more subdued to allow the singer to improvise over the top. As a dance, the bossa nova differs little from the samba, requiring the same subtle body rhythm and two-step foot movement.

Listen to Jobim's Garota de Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema):
Unearthed In The Atomic Attic: The Girl From Ipanema ...


Listen to the same song as performed by Astrud Gilberto (singer and wife of João as of 1959), João Gilberto (guitar) and Stan Gertz (saxophone):



Another famous song is Mas que nada, written by Jorge Ben Jor, which has elements of bossa nova and samba. Brazilians use the phrase "Mas que nada" colloquially to disagree with someone. A fitting English translation might be the sarcastic "Yeah, right...".

Listen here to the original version by Jorge Ben Jor:



Spotify link to his Samba Esquema Novo album can be found here. 

Listen to Al Jarreau (vocals) and Michel Petrucciani's (piano) energetic performance of the same song: 


DHM YouTube Playlist


Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Wikipedia

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