“The Girl from Ipanema” singer Astrud Gilberto has passed away at age 83.
The Brazilian bossa nova musician — who was a huge star in the ’60s and ’70s — died on June 5, her granddaughter, Sofia Gilberto, announced.
Sofia shared a sweet video clip, alongside the translated message: “I’m here to bring you the sad news that my grandmother became a star today, and is next to my grandfather João Gilberto.
“She was a pioneer and the best. At the age of 22, she gave voice to the English version of ‘Girl from Ipanema’ and gained international fame,” Sofia added, according to the BBC.
Guitarist Paul Ricci, who collaborated with Astrud, also shared the sad news on Facebook.
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He wrote, “I just got word from her son Marcelo that we have lost Astrud Gilberto. He asked for this to be posted.
“She was an important part of ALL that is Brazilian music in the world and she changed many lives with her energy. RIP from ‘the chief’ as she called me. Thanks AG.”
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Astrud’s version of “The Girl from Ipanema” helped to popularize the bossa nova music genre, which is a relaxed style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro.
The song ended up selling more than five million copies, the BBC reported.
