Three of Brazil’s greatest female vocal stars passed in 2023
Remembering Bossa Nova’s Astrud Gilberto, Rita Lee, and Leny Andrade with full-length concert videos for each vocalist.
The year’s end always brings a time of reflection. For Brazilian music fans, the passing of these legendary performers is one of 2023’s important stories.
Remembering Astrud Gilberto, Rita Lee, and Leny Andrade
Rembering Rita Lee 31 – December 1947 – 8 May 2023
Rita Lee Jones was born as the daughter of a deep South American businessman. She became one of the most prominent Brazilian Rock stars as a singer and songwriter. As a teen, she was the doe-eyed face of the late-60s Tropicalia movement as a member of Os Mutantes.
As a solo artist, Rita Lee formed the group Tutti Frutti in the 70’s. This led to her greatest success with her future husband, Roberto de Carvalho. Together, they became one of Brazil’s most successful musical partnerships.
Carvalho’s talents as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter combined with Lee’s on-stage personae. Their personalities brought a long string of pop hits to adoring fans. Our favorites? ‘Lança Perfume’, ‘Só de Você’, ‘Chega Mais’, ‘Desculpe o Auê’, ‘Caso Sério’, and ‘Mania de Você’.
Fans will certainly add many more to this list, so let’s add one more: Rita Lee’s Bossa ‘n Beatles album.
Rita Lee published her autobiography in 2017. Titled Rita Lee: Uma Autobiografia it went on to become Brazil’s best-selling non-fiction book of the year.
Rita Lee passed away in early May of 2023.
Remebering Astrud Gilberto – March 29, 1940 – June 5, 2023
Truth is, no other Brazilian female vocalist has done more to advance the world’s love of Bossa Nova, than Astrud Gilberto. Although her recording career was relatively brief, the cultural impact of her albums will resonate for generations to come.
Born in Salvador, Bahia, Astrud Weinert moved to Rio de Janeiro with her parents at a young age. She was part of Brazil’s Bossa generation – albeit as a fan – when she was introduced to her future husband João Gilberto. Unexpectedly, it happened at a party hosted by a friend, Nara Leão.
The daughter of a musical mother and a father (a language professor), Astrud grew to love music and languages. Throughout her career Astrud Gilberto has recorded songs in her native language Portuguese, and no less than six foreign languages. These include French, Italian, German, Spanish, and of course, English.
Remembering Astrud Gilberto: Musical Moments
She became an American citizen in 1963.
Astrud Gilberto recorded 15 albums and each one belongs in any Brazilian music fan’s collection. In 1996, George Michael invited Astrud to sing with him on Red Hot + Rio’s ‘Desafinado’.
Gilberto had a cameo role in the 1965 movie, Get Yourself A College Girl (singing ‘The Girl From Ipanema’). Her version of ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ was married to Frank Sinatra’s version for a memorable scene in the movie Down With Love.
Her songs have been sampled by Black Eyed Peas and Thievery Corporation. Basia recorded ‘Astrud’ as an homage to Bossa Nova’s musical muse on Time and Tide.
Astrud Gilberto received the International Latin Music Hall of Fame award in 2002. Six years later, she was awarded the Latin Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Astrud Gilberto passed away in early June of 2023.
Remembering Leny Andrade – 25 January 1943 – 24 July 2023
Upon hearing Leny Andrade sing, Tony Bennett dubbed her ‘the Ella Fitzgerald of Brazil. Her many tours across Europe earned Leny the title of ‘Brazil’s First Lady of Jazz’. Critics worldwide often compared Andrade’s concert to that of Sarah Vaughan.
Leny’s powerful and emotive delivery could overwhelm an audience with a rapturous effect. With Leny Andrade, there was no way to distance yourself from her immense talent as a performer. Why would you want to?
Interestingly, Leny also lived for a time in the United States.
The New York Times’s music critic Stephan Holden once wrote:
“To describe Ms. Andrade as both the Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald of bossa nova only goes so far in evoking a performer whose voice seems to contain the body and soul of Brazil. You may think you know “The Girl from Ipanema”, the final number in the show’s opening medley of Jobim songs. But you haven’t really absorbed it until you’ve heard Ms. Andrade sing it in Portuguese; disgorge might be a better word than sing, since, like everything else she performs, it seems to well up from the center of the earth.”
However, Leny Andrade was a jazz vocalist, not a Bossa Nova singer. Her unique place in the universe of Brazilian music will forever be secure.
Leny Andrade won the Latin Grammy award for Best MPB Album with pianist Cesar Camargo Mariano, on Ao Vivo.
Leny Andrade passed away in late July of 2023.
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Remembering Astrud Gilberto, Rita Lee, and Leny Andrade
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