Bossanova Standards
tagStarted 1960Peak 1962–1966Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Bossanova standards are the canonical songs most repeatedly associated with the style, recognizable within a few bars because the melodic contour and harmonic flavor are inseparable from the bossa groove itself. They are elegant, concise, and endlessly revisitable, which is exactly why singers and instrumentalists keep coming back to them.
History
Once bossa nova entered global circulation, a relatively stable core repertoire emerged around Jobim, João Gilberto, Vinicius de Moraes, and allied writers, with tunes such as "Chega de Saudade," "Desafinado," "Corcovado," "Wave," and "The Girl from Ipanema" becoming both jazz standards and lounge essentials; this canon is now one of the most internationally recognized songbooks in Latin music.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Bossa nova"
- Library of Congress, "The Girl from Ipanema"
- Library of Congress, "Latin Artists on the Recording Registry." citeturn1search0turn4search11turn8search6