Gilberto and Bossa Nova are synonymous. Astrud, the original 'Girl from Ipanema', sang the iconic hit song on the classic 1963 album Getz/Gilberto, released by Verve Records as a single in May 1964. Girl from Ipanema won a Grammy and established Astrud as a hot new commodity on the music scene. She also sang Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars) on the album.
Born Astrud Evangelina Weinert in Salvador, Bahia, she was raised by her mother, Evangelina Neves Lobo Weinert, a singer and musician, and her German-born father, Fritz, a language teacher. Astrud became fluent in multiple languages, including English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese, thanks to her father.
In 1959, Astrud married João Gilberto, credited as the inventor of Bossa Nova, and collaborated with Antonio Carlos Jobim. The mellow sound of Bossa Nova gained popularity in the US, featuring exponents like Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz. Astrud sang her signature number in the MGM musical Get Yourself a College Girl (1964).
Astrud released her first solo albums in 1965 and 1966, featuring classic songs like Agua de Beber, The Shadow of Your Smile, Tristeza, Fly Me to the Moon, Manhã de Carnaval, and Felicidade. She toured the US with Stan Getz, including a famous gig at the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village. Astrud became a single mother, divorced from her husband.
Astrud later regretted her association with Getz, as he and record producer Creed Taylor claimed exclusive credit for her discovery, and she received little credit or royalties for her work on the album. Despite this, 'Girl from Ipanema' became one of the most widely recorded songs in popular music.
Astrud went on to form more successful partnerships, including a jazz album with Gil Evans and a collaboration with Chet Baker. In 1996, she performed with George Michael for the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio. In 2002, she was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. Astrud left the music scene in the early 2000s, spending her retirement in Philadelphia, where she studied philosophy, painted, and became a vocal advocate against animal cruelty.
