Created in Brazil in the late 1950s during a period of political
change and economical growth, bossa nova has been often described as the music of the Brazilian middle and upper classes. This music style originated in the wealthy neighborhoods that sprouted along the beaches of the city of Rio de Janeiro and both its music and lyrics were composed by middle and upper-class musicians and marketed to the same economic group. For this reason, bossa nova was criticized by some for emphasizing a carefree way of living that little resembled the life of most Brazilians, the great majority of which belonged to the working class. Indeed, bossa nova compositions often spoke of love, the beach, and beautiful women and seemed to be a depiction of the authors bohemian life rather than a tale of Brazilians daily struggles as usually happened with samba, a music genre popular among the working class. The Girl from Ipanema, which became popular outside of Brazil both in its original Portuguese form and in translation, is a perfect example of the uncommitted quality of bossa nova songs. The Girl from Ipanema is nothing more than the composers description of a woman walking down towards the beach, the sweet way in which she moves and how beautiful she is, culminating with the authors statement that shes the most beautiful thing hes ever seen go by. The music that accompanied the first wave of bossa nova lyrics, while unique, used the same altered chords found in jazz music combined with the drum beat characteristic of samba. Perhaps ironically, bossa nova, the music style associated with complacence, is also considered responsible for the birth of the protest music of the 1960s that denounced the political uproar Brazil found itself in that led to the military coup of 1964. Critical of the insipid character of bossa nova lyrics and influenced by the precarious political and economic situation of Brazil, artists started using music to voice their opinions and as a vehicle to teach the largely uneducated Brazilian population about their countrys current social, political and economic status. Following the coup of 1964, a new generation of bossa nova musicians emerged. The music they composed was radically different from that created by the first generation of bossa nova musicians and depicted the plight of the Brazilian population and denounced the countrys newly installed military government. In addition, this new type of bossa nova music had a nationalistic character that its predecessor lacked. This new wave of bossa nova musicians not only sang about the hardships of Brazilians, especially about the life in the drought- stricken northeastern region of the country; the music they composed to accompany their lyrics also made use of traditional Brazilian instruments and borrowed from other genres of Brazilian music like the type of samba heard in the urban slums. But in spite of the differences that distinguish them from one another, both styles of bossa nova were intrinsically linked to Brazils history and reflected the historic period in which they were created, one born during a time of growth and the other created in a time of struggle
The Bossa Nova is one of Brazil's most popular forms of Latin music. It is one of the more simple grooves to play, however it is extremely effective. The Bossa Nova is usually played at slower tempos, and is eighth-note based. You will notice there is a standard "Bossa Nova" clave pattern played within this groove. Bossa Nova Beats
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This month's lesson deals with textures common to two popular Brazilian styles of music, Bossa Nova and Samba. Like most musical styles, there is more to them than can be covered in a single lesson; instead, here we will examine some basic elements from the perspective of a vibraphonist. I tell my students that, in terms of chordal textures, jazz vibraphonists should look to guitarists for inspiration, as much (if not more) than pianists. The textures discussed in this lesson are very common in the work of Brazilian musicians, such as Toninho Horta, Oscar Castro- Neves, Tom Jobim, and the brilliant singer/guitarist Joao Gilberto; the reader would do well to listen to recordings by these and other Brazilian masters. I. Bass Lines The bass lines in Bossa Nova and Samba are rooted in the rhythms of the surdo, the bass drum found in Samba bands. Here is the most common surdo rhythm:
Bass players take that rhythm, and use it to create lines focusing on the root and fifth of the chord:
This pattern is quite appropriate to mallet instruments as well. However, one will find that at faster tempo, the quick repetition of pitches can be difficult to execute cleanly. Here is the bass line, now altered slightly to allow the use of double-lateral strokes between the mallets of the left hand. This version is much more idiomatic to mallet instrument performance:
Or, one can simplify the pattern, creating these variations:
II. Comping Rhythms There are myriad rhythms which are used by guitarists and pianists when comping in these styles. Here are some common examples:
Again, it is suggested that the reader listen to recordings by Brazilian guitarists for still more ideas, and to hear how the rhythms are varied in performance. These comping rhythms are not meant to be completely static; the rhythms will change to reflect the melody, the harmony, and the work of the soloist or other rhythm section players. One should develop a vocabulary of idiomatic rhythms, and then let one's ears be the deciding factor in performance.
III. Combining Bass Lines and Comping Rhythms Four-mallet technique lends itself well to recreating these bass/comping textures on the vibraphone. Perhaps the most obvious approach is to dedicate the two left-hand mallets to the bass line, leaving the right-hand mallets to comp the rhythms. Here, the guide tones (the 3rd and 7th of each chord) have been assigned to the right-hand mallets, with the left hand assigned a bass line:
One may take advantage of the rhythmic activity provided by the comping patterns, especially at slower tempos, by simplifying the rhythm of the bass line. This example pares the bass line down to half notes (playing the root of each chord), but when combined with the comping rhythm, the stylistic elements of the music are still communicated to the listener:
At slower Bossa Nova tempos, one may apply slightly more advanced four-mallet technique, as in the next example. Here, the bass line is played by the left-hand's outside mallet, freeing the inside mallet to fill out the chord voicing along with the right-hand's guide tones. We're cheating a little bit by playing an inversion of the D7 chord, keeping the pitch "A" in the bass line. Still, with the voicings above, the harmony is clearly stated:
By starting with basic stylistic elements of Bossa Nova and Samba, a vibraphonist can create a series of variations on the material, providing many different ways in which one can accompany in these styles. As always, players should use their ears, both to learn from other musicians who have mastered these styles, and also to make one's own creative choices.
(This page and all the materials within copyright 2001 James Walker, All Rights Reserved. No portion of this page may be duplicated or distributed without the author's written consent.)
Bossa nova From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Bossa Nova Stylistic origins: Afro-American jazz and Brazilian samba Cultural origins: 1957 (Rio de Janeiro's southside) - End: 1963 Typical instrument s: Acoustic guitar, piano, electronic organ, acoustic bass and drums Mainstrea m popularity: Widely known in Brazil, also significant in the United States, Western Europe, Japan and the Philippines. Subgenres Tropicalismo (Tropicalism) Other topics Bossa Nova (dance) Bossa Nova is a style of Brazilian music popularized by Vinicius de Moraes, Antnio Carlos Jobim and Joo Gilberto. Bossa Nova acquired a large following, initially by young musicians and college students. [1]. Although the Bossa Nova movement only lasted six years (1958-63), it contributed a number of songs to the standard jazz repertoire. Origins and history The musical style evolved from samba but is more complex harmonically and is less percussive. The influence on Bossa Nova of Afro-American jazz styles such as cool jazz is often debated by historians and fans, but a similar "cool sensibility" is apparent. Bossa Nova developed in Brazil in 1958, with Elizete Cardoso's recording of Chega de Saudade on the Cano do Amor Demais LP. Composed by Vincius de Moraes (lyrics) and Antonio Carlos Jobim (music). The song was soon after released by Gilberto himself. The initial releases by Gilberto and the 1959 film Black Orpheus brought huge popularity in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America, which spread to North America by way of visiting American jazz musicians. The resulting recordings by Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz cemented its popularity and led to a worldwide boom with 1963's Getz/Gilberto, numerous recordings by famous jazz performers such as Ella Fitzgerald (Ella Abraa Jobim) and Frank Sinatra (Francis Albert Sinatra & Antnio Carlos Jobim), and the entrenchment of the Bossa Nova style as a lasting influence in world music for several decades and even up to the present. The first Bossa Nova single was perhaps the most successful of all time: The Getz/Gilberto recording "The Girl From Ipanema" edited to include only the singing of Astrud Gilberto (Gilberto's then-wife). The resulting fad was not unlike the disco craze of the 1970s. The genre would withstand substantial "watering down" by popular artists throughout the next four decades. An early influence of Bossa Nova was the song "Dans mon le" by French singer Henri Salvador, featured in a 1957 Italian movie distributed in Brazil (Europa di notte by Alessandro Blasetti) and covered later by Brazilian artists Eumir Deodato (Los Danseros en Bolero - 1964) and Caetano himself (Outras Palavras - 1981). In 2005, Henri Salvador was awarded the Brazilian Order of Cultural Merit, which he received from singer and Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, in the presence of President Lula for his influence on Brazilian culture. Instruments Bossa Nova is most commonly performed on the nylon-string classical guitar, played with the fingers rather than with a pick. Its purest form could be considered unaccompanied guitar with vocals, as exemplified by Joo Gilberto. Even in larger jazz-like arrangements for groups, there is almost always a guitar that plays the underlying rhythm. Though not as prominent as the guitar, the piano is another important instrument of bossa nova; Jobim wrote for the piano and performed on it for most of his own recordings. The piano has also served as a stylistic bridge between Bossa Nova and jazz, enabling a great deal of cross- pollination between the two. Drums and percussion are not considered essential Bossa Nova instruments. Nonetheless, there is a distinctive Bossa Nova drumming style like that of Helcio Milito, characterized by continuous eighths on the high-hat (mimicking the samba tambourine) and tapping of the rim or "rim clicks" in a clave pattern. The bass drum usually mimics the string bass by playing on "1-&3-&1" as the string bass usually does. Lush orchestral accompaniment is often associated with Bossa Nova's North American image as "elevator" or "lounge" music. It is present in much of Jobim's own recordings, and those of Astrud Gilberto. Dusty Springfield would both feature and epitomize this element on her Philips (versus the Phil Ramone version she first recorded) recording of "The Look of Love" (written by Bacharach and David, the song is one of the most respected American pop interpretations of the genre). The unique aural "texture" of Bossa strings, when used, is an important secondary characteristic of the genre. Bossa Nova is at heart a folk genre, and not all Bossa Nova records have strings, but the authentic ones that do have them feature them in a most distinct manner. Structure Bossa Nova is at its core a rhythm based on samba. Samba combines the rhythmic patterns and feel originating in former African slave communities with elements of European march music. Samba's emphasis on the first beat carries through to Bossa Nova (to the degree that it is often notated in 2/4 time). When played on the guitar, in a simple one-bar pattern the thumb plays the bass notes on 1 and 2, while the fingers pluck the chords in unison on the two eighth notes of beat one, followed by the second sixteenth note of beat two. Two-measure patterns usually contain a syncopation into the second measure. Overall, the rhythm has a swaying rather than swinging (as in jazz) feel. As bossa nova composer Carlos Lyra describes it in his song "Influncia do Jazz", the samba rhythm moves "side to side" while jazz moves "front to back". In terms of harmonic structure, Bossa Nova has a great deal in common with jazz, in its sophisticated use of seventh and extended chords. The first Bossa Nova song, "Chega de Saudade," borrowed some structural elements from choro; however, later compositions rarely followed this form. Jobim often used challenging, almost dissonant melody lines, the best- known being in the tunes "Desafinado" ("Off-Key"). Often the melody goes to the altered note in the chord. For example, if the chord is DM7#11, the note sung in the melody line there would be G#, or the sharp 11. In the early Bossa Nova recordings, in terms of lyrical themes and length of songs (typically two to four minutes), Bossa Nova is very much a "popular music" style. However, its song structure often differs from European and North American rock-based music's standard format of two verses followed by a bridge, and a closing verse; Bossa Nova songs frequently have no more than two lyrical verses, and many lack a bridge. Some of Joo Gilberto's earliest recordings were less than two minutes long, and some had a single lyrical verse that was simply repeated. Origin of the term "bossa nova" In Brazil, to do something with "Bossa" is to do it with particular charm and natural flair, as in an innate ability. In 1932, Noel Rosa used the word in a samba...which went O samba, a prontido e outras bossas / So nossas coisas, so coisas nossas (The samba, the readiness and other bossas / Are our things, are our things.) As yet, the exact origin of the term "Bossa Nova" remains uncertain. What is certain is that the term "Bossa" was used to refer to any new "trend" or "fashionable wave" within the artistic beach- culture of late 1950's Rio de Janeiro. The term finally became known and widely used to refer to a new music style, a fusion of Samba and Jazz, when the now famous creators of "Bossa Nova" referred to their new style of work as "a Bossa Nova", as in "the new thing". [2]. Brazilian author, Ruy Castro, in his book Bossa Nova says that "Bossa" was already in use in the Fifties by musicians as a word to characterize someone's knack for playing or singing idiosyncratically. He cites a claim that the term "Bossa Nova" might have first been used in publicity for a concert given by the Grupo Universitrio Hebraico do Brasil (University Hebrew Group of Brazil) in 1958 for a group consisting of Sylvinha Telles, Carlinhos Lyra, Nara Leo, Luizinho Ea, Roberto Menescal, et al. They were likely using the term "Bossa Nova" then as a generic reference to what they were doing in music at the time, which had no particular name yet. However, the term took hold as the definition of their own specific artistic creation] which became known as "Bossa Nova", and is often simply known as "Bossa" today. Later developments From the mid-nineties, various other European artists reached out to Bossa Nova for inspiration mixing electronic music into it and bringing new creations sometimes referred to as BossaElectrica, TecnoBossa, etc. which still permeates the air of lounge bars of Europe and Asia today. From this newer crop of artists came new singers like Bebel Gilberto, daughter of Bossa Nova co-creator Joo Gilberto and singer Micha, and new European bands like Nouvelle Vague to name a few, who used both conventional Bossa Nova style and modern views to further interpret this fabulously soothing style of music that originated in Rio de Janeiro-Brazil back in the 1950s.
Important bossa nova artists . Milton Banana . Luiz Bonf 0. Charlie Byrd 0. Quarteto em Cy 0. Gal Costa 0. Stan Getz 0. Astrud Gilberto 0. Bebel Gilberto 0. Joo Gilberto 0. Antonio Carlos Jobim 0. Nara Leo 0. Carlos Lyra 0. Sergio Mendes 0. Roberto Menescal 0. Vinicius de Moraes 0. Elis Regina 0. Elza Soares 0. Toquinho 0. Marcos Valle 0. Ana Caram
[edit] References . Castro, Ruy (trans. by Lysa Salsbury). "Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World." 2000. 1st English language edition. A Capella Books, an imprint of Chicago Review Press, Inc. ISBN 1-55652-409-9 First published in Brasil by Companhia das Letras. 1990. . McGowan, Chris and Pessanha, Ricardo. "The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil." 1998. 2nd edition. Temple University Press. ISBN 1-56639-545-3 Mei, Giancarlo. Canto Latino: Origine, Evoluzione e Protagonisti della Musica Popolare del Brasile. 2004. Stampa Alternativa-Nuovi Equilibri. Preface by Sergio Bardotti and postface by Milton Nascimento.