Bossa Nova: The Story of the Brazilian Music That Seduced the World

Bossa nova is one of the most popular musical genres in the world. Songs such as "The Girl from Ipanema" (the fifth most frequently played song in the world), "The Waters of March," and "Desafinado" are known around the world. Bossa Nova-a number-one bestseller when originally published in Brazil as Chega de Saudade-is a definitive history of this seductive music. Based on extensive interviews with Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, and all the major musicians and their friends, Bossa Nova explains how a handful of Rio de Janeiro teenagers changed the face of popular culture around the world. Now, in this outstanding translation, the full flavor of Ruy Castro's wisecracking, chatty Portuguese comes through in a feast of detail. Along the way he introduces a cast of unforgettable characters who turned Gilberto's singular vision into the sound of a generation.

Several years ago while on a business trip to Brazil a local business associate gave me a copy of Chega de Saudade by Ruy Castro. This was his origianal portuguese version of the translated copy; Bossa Nova: The Story of The Brazilian Music That Seduced The World.

I too became seduced by the Bosa Nova at an early age back in the early sixties when the Bossa Nova sounds first found their way into the USA.

Being fluent in Spanish helped me read through Chega de Saudade in Portuguese, although I always felt that I did not get the full essence of the book with the numerous side cooments the author makes, many of them very humorous.

I recently decided to check Amazon to see if there existed a translated copy of Chega de Saudade. I was shocked to find it hade been translated. Once I received it I could not put the book down. It is a very easy read with loads of incredible detail on the musicians and writers that made the whole Bossa Nova movement possible. The amount of research is phenomenal. The book reads like a novel and does a great job in transporting the reader back to the Rio de Janeiro of the fifties and early sixties. What an incredible read. Thank you Amazon for making it available.

C. Tanon

Parkland, FL

This has to be the most thorough and exhausting work on the subject--the primary source of information on this historical evolution in music. One needs to be seeking exactly that deep level of information to appreciate the book, otherwise it will be utilized as more of a reference by subjects than a book to be consuimed cover to cover. I did the latter and came away with a very complete understanding of the period and the people involved. I recommend it to those seeking in depth history on the subject.

I first read Ruy Castro's 'Bossa Nova' and wanted more! Then I found this book, and loved it. I also went on to read Ruy Castro's next book (translated into English) Garrincha which is about a Futebol star. I am not into soccer but I loved the book.

In short, I've been really enjoying reading the Ruy Castro books that have been translated into english. Maybe I'll learn Portuguese and read the rest. I recommend this book.

If you look for a comprehensive account of almost all the musicians involved in Bossa Nova including what they earned for what, if you want to know which of Miucha’s recipes Joao was crazy about (couscous with fish) or who ironed Joao’s pants minutes before he went onstage at the famous bossa nova concert in Carnegie Hall, N.Y. 1962 (Brazilian Vice Consul Dona Dora Vasconcellos – admittedly an absolutely hilarious story), if you can be amused by Brazilian musicians forever coming late to appointments, or drinking themselves into hospital frequently (Vinicius, Baden Powell, Maysa …) – this is your book. If you care to know who dated who among all those wonderful Brazilian musicians of the 60s or who was the Girl from Ipanema (Heloisa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto, age 18 in 1962, for further details see Brazilian Playboy May 1987 edition – when she was 43 though) – this book is a must for you.

If you share Ruy Castro’s contempt for politically engaged music (however naïve) in times of military dictatorship or if you believe that Tropicalismo, which was started by Gilberto Gil, Tom Ze, Caetano Veloso among others after the air went out of Bossa Nova in 1967, was “a ye ye ye renovation movement” – you’ll absolutely love it.

But if you care for the music - if you want to know how musicians worked and felt, what ideals they looked up to and which traditions they respected – forget it and go look for something else.

Faute de mieux (because it deals mainly with the post Bossa Nova period) you might look into Caetano Veloso’s own book “Tropical Truth”: much more intelligent, much more respectful (especially towards people like Roberto Carlos or Nara Leao), insightful and although pretty intellectual much more heartfelt and humane than Ruy Castro’s comprehensive compendium of Bossa Nova gossip.

(Out of disappointment I might make it look worse than it really is: there are amusing and interesting parts. At least you get to learn some about all those fantastic poets and singers and composers, especially Joao Gilberto. But on the whole a huge let down.)

If you look for a comprehensive account of almost all the musicians involved in Bossa Nova including what they earned for what, if you want to know which of Miucha's recipes Joao was crazy about (couscous with fish) or who ironed Joao's pants minutes before he went onstage at the famous bossa nova concert in Carnegie Hall, N.Y. 1962 (Brazilian Vice Consul Dona Dora Vasconcellos - admittedly an absolutely hilarious story), if you can be amused by Brazilian musicians forever coming late to appointments, or drinking themselves into hospital frequently (Vinicius, Baden Powell, Maysa ...) - this is your book. If you care to know who dated who among all those wonderful Brazilian musicians of the 60s or who was the Girl from Ipanema (Heloisa Eneida Menezes Paes Pinto, age 18 in 1962, for further details see Brazilian Playboy May 1987 edition - when she was 43 though) - this book is a must for you.

If you share Ruy Castro's contempt for politically engaged music (however naïve) in times of military dictatorship or if you believe that Tropicalismo, which was started by Gilberto Gil, Tom Ze, Caetano Veloso among others after the air went out of Bossa Nova in 1967, was "a ye ye ye renovation movement" - you'll absolutely love it.

But if you care for the music - if you want to know how musicians worked and felt, what ideals they looked up to and which traditions they respected - forget it and go look for something else.

Faute de mieux (because it deals mainly with the post Bossa Nova period) you might look into Caetano Veloso's own book "Tropical Truth": much more intelligent, much more respectful (especially towards people like Roberto Carlos or Nara Leao), insightful and although pretty intellectual much more heartfelt and humane than Ruy Castro's comprehensive compendium of Bossa Nova gossip.

(Out of disappointment I might make it look worse than it really is: there are amusing and interesting parts. At least you get to learn some about all those fantastic poets and singers and composers, especially Joao Gilberto. But on the whole a huge let down.)