Joao Gilberto, a Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter considered one of the fathers of the bossa nova genre that gained global popularity in the 1960s and became an iconic sound of the South American nation, died on Saturday, his son said. He was 88.
Joao Marcelo said his father had been battling health issues though no official cause of death was given. “His struggle was noble. He tried to maintain his dignity in the light of losing his sovereignty,” Marcelo posted on Facebook.
A fusion of samba and jazz, bossa nova emerged in the late 1950 and gained a world-wide following in the 1960s, pioneered by Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim, who composed the iconic Girl From Ipanema that was sung Gilberto, his wife Astrud and others.
In 1961, Gilberto finished the trilogy of albums that would make bossa nova known around the world: “Chega de Saudade,” ”El Amor, La Sonrisa y La Flor, and “Joao Gilberto.” Over his career he won two Grammy Awards and was nominated for six.
“It was Joao Gilberto, the greatest genius of Brazilian music, who was the definitive influence on my music,” singer Gal Costa wrote on social media. “He will be missed but his legacy is very important to Brazil and to the world.”
Journalist and bossa nova scholar Ruy Castro called the death of Gilberto a “monumental” loss.
“He managed to create a mystique about him abroad, being who he was and not even speaking English,” he told the Globo television station.
As well as Marcelo, Gilberto is survived by two other children, Bebel and Luisa.