“The Girl From Ipanema” Astrud Gilberto Dies At Age 83

Astrud Gilberto, the female voice of the classic ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ has died at her home in Philadelphia at age 83.

Astrud’s granddaughter Sofia announced her passing.

She said, “My grandmother Astrud Gilberto made this song for me, it’s called Linda Sofia 🌸 including she wanted my name to be Linda Sofia 🌼 Life is beautiful, as the music says, but I come to bring the sad news that my grandmother became a star today ✨ 🌟 ✨ and is next to my grandfather John Gilberto. Astrud was the real girl who took the new bossa from Ipanema into the world. She was the pioneer and the best. At 22, she voiced the English version of “Garota de Ipanema” and gained international fame. The song, an anthem of Bossa Nova, has established itself as the second most played worldwide mainly because of her. I love and will love Astrud eternally and she was the face and voice of Bossa Nova on most of the planet. Astrud will be forever in our hearts 🎶 💖 and in this moment we have to celebrate Astrud.”

Astrud was born in Brazil. In 1959 Astrud married João Gilberto. In 1965 Astrud recorded her first solo album ‘The Astrud Gilberto Album’. That album featured arrangements by Marty Paich, the father of David Paich from Toto.

Astrud was 22 years old when she recorded ‘The Girl from Ipanema’ with Stan Getz and her husband João for the ‘Getz/Gilberto’ album, released in 1964. The song won Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards and earned Astrud a nomination for Best Vocal Performance.

‘The Girl from Ipanema’ sold over one million copies in the USA. Astrud is reported to have only earned $120 for her work, the standard session fee of the day.

One of her unlikely duets was this one ‘Desafinado’ with George Michael:

Astrud and João divorced in the mid 1960s. João Gilberto died in 2019.

Atsrud’s last album as ‘Jungle’ in 2002.

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