Antonio Carlos Jobim

Biography

Named French descendant " Jobin" having emigrated in Brazil at the XVIIe century, it is a truth carioca , an inhabitant of Rio. Quickly, its family moves in a district more with the south, more central and more middle-class man, Ipanema . Very young person, he plays of the Guitare and the Harmonica. But starting from 1941, the music does not become only any more one leisure for Jobim, since it then starts to take courses of Piano with Hans-Joachim Koellreuter, a German who illustrates himself in particular in the Dodécaphonisme. At the end of the war, it launches out in studies of architecture which will be well quickly abandoned. He prefers to play of the piano in the bars where, of the months during, he refines and improves his play.

A few years later, the Brésil enters a species of political golden age , with the advent with the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek, a democrat and a reformer who durably will leave his print on the country. Its watchword - To catch up with 50 years in 5 years - leads in particular to the creation of a new capital, Brasilia. During this time, in 1956, is held a meeting absolutely decisive between Jobim and the poet, writer and diplomatic Vinícius de Moraes. This last then seeks to put in music its part Orfeu da Conceiçao, transposition in the universe of Rio of the Greek myth of Orphée, which he wrote between 1940 and 1955. Jobim is carried out and, at the time of its exit to the municipal theater of Rio, on September 25th, 1956, the part is a triumph, as well as the film adaptation of the French Marcel Camus, Orfeu Negro, of 1959, which returned it universally celebrates and which inspired a type-setter like Michel Legrand. Gradually, many young musicians are incorporated around the duet Jobim /de Moraes: Bahianais, singer and guitarist, João Gilberto, the singer Nara Leão, the guitarist Baden Powell, and well of others still like Carlos Lyra, Roberto Menescal, Newton Mendonça, Ronaldo Boscoli: a whole movement which will take the name of Bossa nova , which means “new thing”.

But nova worked it, even if she intends to incarnate a new wave , a new way of singing and to play, ex nihilo is not born . Its influences are numerous and, first of all, the ear of Jobim much trailed, listened and assimilated. Thus, in Brazil, the type-setter tastes particularly the musics of Henri Salvador as well as the compositions of Ary Barroso, type-setter of the “tube” Aquarela C Brasil - more known under the name of Brazil , and associates with the Jazz the complex agreements of the traditional Chorinho. Clearly influenced by the music of Chopin, he learns also much near the guitarist from Samba cançao Dorival Caymmi and from the pianist Johnny Alf, who initiates it with the jazz.

It is not question of summarizing here a 40 years career during which Tom Jobim composed of the hundreds of songs and recorded more than 50 discs. Let us quote nevertheless Chega de Saudade (1958), which marked the beginning of worked nova, like Desafinado (1959) and Garota de Ipanema (1963) which was a planetary success.

On Thursday, December 8, 1994, with the hospital Mount the Sinai of New York where it had gone to undergo there an surgical operation following problems of Artériosclérose, Tom Jobim is victim of a heart failure mortal. Simple chance or last wink of the destiny, it even joined in the legend its accomplice Vinícius de Moraes at the age (67 years) where this one, 14 years its elder, had preceded it in 1980.

The style worked nova reached the posterity today, even if the movement had attenuated somewhat as from 1968 front the invading American music. Jobim, which accepted never this musical imperialism besides, declared one day: “It is shitting to be modern. I believe that I will become rather eternal. ”

Discography

(1970) Stone flower

External bond

Clube C Tom, site of admirors

Interview, 1988

Official site

Jobim biography, maintenance and CDs in cosmopolis.ch

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