In the late 1950s and early '60s, songwriters like the classically-trained Antonio Carlos "Tom"
Jobim and the soft-voiced guitarist João Gilberto created a smoother, jazz-influenced version of the Samba - which itself was a product of the nation's poorer classes. Middle-class Brazilians preferred the newer sound, which was dubbed Bossa Nova, or "The New Way." Bossa Nova is velvet sophistication atop a feathery five-against-four rhythm, and is most famously epitomized by
Gilberto's "Girl from Ipanema." American
jazzmen like Stan Getz - who went on to collaborate frequently with Gilberto and Herbie Mann visited Brazil and brought the Bossa Nova to international attention. Some commercial distortion followed, but Bossa Nova continues to influence modern
Brazilian pop and other regional styles today.
Bossa Nova: Antonio Carlos
Jobim Aka Tom Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto, Baden Powell, Eliane Elias, Elis Regina, João Gilberto, Nara Leão,
Sérgio Mendes, Stan Getz, Maria Rita,
Sitti Navarro, Rosalia De Souza, Celso Fonseca, Luiz Bonfá, Carlos Lyra, Tamba Trio, Gal Costa, Seu Jorge, Vinicius de Moraes.