Monday 16 / December / 2024
Sao Paulo: Legendary Brazilian musician João Gilberto has died at the age of 88.
The singer and composer was a pioneer of the bossa nova genre, which found international popularity in the 1960s.
Reports from official Brazilian government sources say Gilberto died at home in Rio de Janeiro after a period of illness. His son confirmed the news of his death in a Facebook post on Saturday.
"His fight was noble, he tried to maintain dignity," Marcelo Gilberto said.
Born in the north-east state of Bahia in 1931, Gilberto began singing when he was just 18-years-old.
His release of the record Chega de Saudade in the late 1950s was considered a game-changer for Brazilian music.
Gilberto's style - mixing traditional and modern musical influences - inspired bossa nova, or new trend, music and many other artists after him.
In 1964, he famously collaborated with America saxophone player Stan Getz. Their album sold millions of copies and won international praise, including a US Grammy for Album of the year.
