Bossa Nova
A Brazilian music style from the late 1950s blending samba and cool jazz (João Gilberto, Tom Jobim).
What it means
Bossa nova is a Brazilian music style that emerged in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1950s, when musicians such as João Gilberto blended elements of samba with the calmer, harmonically richer sound of cool jazz. It is marked by a soft, almost spoken vocal style over a distinctive syncopated guitar accompaniment.
Antonio Carlos Jobim composed many of the genre's best-known pieces; João Gilberto's performances and recordings shaped its characteristically understated sound.
Musical use
Harmonically, bossa nova uses extended chords with sevenths, ninths, and altered tones common in jazz, set within a relaxed duple or quadruple meter. In the late 1950s and 1960s, musicians such as Stan Getz spread the style internationally, and it left a lasting mark on jazz.
Bossa nova differs from earlier samba in its subdued tempo, restrained dynamics, and closer harmonic kinship with jazz.