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Two of the tracks, including “Chega de Saudade,” featured Gilberto on guitar, but the arrangements downplayed the bossa nova rhythm. Later that same year Gilberto recorded the song himself, in a radically stripped-down arrangement. His sophisticated guitar playing–he articulated gorgeous chords with a deft rhythmic touch–was front and center, as was his restrained, whispery singing.
Of course, within a year bossa nova was becoming a sensation, and as the genre celebrates its 50th anniversary it remains the sound most people identify most closely with Brazil. Celebrations are happening all over the globe, and Chicago is hosting a big party this Thursday at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Local singer and guitarist Paulinho Garcia, a Brazilian native who’s one of the most knowledgeable and skilled bossa nova practitioners in town, leads a group he’s calling Orchestra Brazzilli, which includes saxophonist Greg Fishman, the Hawk String Quartet, Polish singer Grazyna Auguscik, and several others.
Today’s playlist:
