‘Girl From Ipanema’ singer dead: Astrud Gilberto was 83

She was a bossa super-nova.

Astrud Gilberto, the bossa nova singer most famous for her recording of “The Girl From Ipanema,” widely viewed as the unofficial cultural anthem of Brazil, has died at age 83.

Collaborator Paul Ricci confirmed the ’60s icon’s passing on social media, claiming that her son Marcelo had asked him to break the tragic news, the Independent reported.

“She was an important part of ALL that is Brazilian music in the world and she changed many lives with her energy,” he said. “RIP from ‘the chief’, as she called me. Thanks AG.”

As of yet, Gilberto’s cause of death has not been disclosed.

Born Astrud Evangelina Weinert in Salvador, Bahia, on March 29,1940, the vocalist’s path to stardom began serendipitously in 1963 after she accompanied husband and musician João Gilberto on a trip to New York to record alongside saxophonist Stan Getz and fellow Brazilian bossa nova star Antônio Carlos Jobim.

Astrud Gilberto, the bossa nova pioneer most famous for her recording of “Girl From Ipanema,” the unofficial cultural anthem of Brazil, has died at age 83. Michael Ochs Archives
Jazz singer Astrud Gilberto poses for a portrait at Birdland on the day they recorded Stan Getz’s live album “Getz Au Go Go” on August 19,1964 in New York, New York.Getty Images

Jobim, along with Vinícius de Moraes, had penned “Garota de Ipanema,” which was inspired by the duo’s infatuation with a teenage girl named Heloísa Pinheiro, who used to stroll past their local bar near Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro.

Session supervisor Phil Ramone had wanted an English singer to help the song, whose lyrics were translated from Portuguese to English by songwriter Norman Gimbel, appeal to American audiences.

As Gilberto was the only one who spoke English, she offered to sing it despite having no prior recording experience.

“Astrud was in the control room when Norm came in with the English lyrics,” Ramone told JazzWax in 2010. “Producer Creed Taylor said he wanted to get the song done right away and looked around the room.”

He explained, “Astrud volunteered, saying she could sing in English. Creed said, ‘Great.’ Astrud wasn’t a professional singer, but she was the only victim sitting there that night.”

Stan Getz (left) and Astrud Gilberto are the Go Go set in a scene from the 1964 film “Get Yourself a College Girl.” Michael Ochs Archives

That track, now viewed as the unofficial cultural anthem of Brazil, would sell more than 5 million copies worldwide and earn Record of the Year for Stan Getz and a nod for Best Female Performance. It also launched the relatively unknown bossa nova genre into the international mainstream.

In 1964, she and João divorced after five years of marriage, and she embarked on a US tour with Getz, who had recorded the original English version alongside her ex-husband. She notably helped record his live album “Getz Au Go Go” at Birdland in New York.

Despite her indelible impact on the music industry, the pioneer claimed she was poorly credited and compensated for her work, infamously earning only $120 in session fees for her vocals on “The Girl From Ipanema.”

She was allegedly also not paid in full for her 1970s albums “Now” and “That Girl From Ipanema.”

“She re-recorded a disco version of ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ on the latter album, marking the second instance she would record the song, and never be paid for it,” Marcelo claimed. “She believed in people and was trusting. They took advantage of her good nature, trust and desire to make music.”

Gilberto claimed she was shunned by the Brazilian press.ullstein bild via Getty Images

He also accused the Brazilian media of not giving his mom proper credit for her contributions to the nation’s music scene.

“Brazil turned its back on her,” he declared. “She achieved fame abroad at a time when this was considered treasonous by the press.”

Following a concert in 1965, the trailblazer stopped performing in her motherland altogether.

While the “Girl From Ipanema” was Gilberto’s one and only hit, she remained in the public eye after recording a slew of solo albums under the jazz label Verve, starting with “The Astrud Gilberto Album” in 1965.

During the course of her 40-year career, Gilberto would record 16 studio albums and two live records and continued to tour until 2002.

In 2008, the bossa nova icon received a lifetime achievement award at the Latin Grammys.

“Brazil turned its back on her,” said Gilberto’s son Marcelo. “She achieved fame abroad at a time when this was considered treasonous by the press.”Redferns

Friends and family members were devastated over Gilberto’s loss.

Gilberto’s granddaughter, Sofia Gilberto Oliveira, also a musician, paid tribute to the legend on Instagram writing: “My grandma Astrud Gilberto made this song for me, it’s called ‘Linda Sofia’. She even wanted my name to be Linda Sofia!”

“Life is beautiful, as the song says, but I’m here to bring you the sad news that my grandmother became a star today, and is next to my grandfather João Gilberto,” she added. “Astrud was the true girl who took bossa nova from Ipanema to the world.”

Sofia also included a photo montage of her grandmother during her heyday in the 1960s.