Bossa nova

Bossa nova is a musical style that originated in Brazil in the mid twentieth century. It was influenced by jazz and samba.

Bossa nova (Portuguese for "new skill" or "new trend") had its definitive start in 1958 by the song "Chega de saudade" (No more saudade), recorded by Elizeth Cardoso. Its first great centre was the Zona Sul (South District) of Rio de Janeiro, in which the quarters of Ipanema and Copacabana are located.

The style was popularized by Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, João Gilberto and other Brazilian musicians. In the 1960s bossa nova was spread worldwide with recordings by North American musicians like Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd, Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra. It influenced world music during the following decades and even today it is still a form of reference for contemporary Brazilian musicians and some European music groups, like the French Nouvelle Vague.

Some famous Bossa nova songs are: "Garota de Ipanema" (Girl From Ipanema), "Desafinado", "O barquinho", "Corcovado" (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) and "Samba de uma nota só" (One Note Samba).