Bossa nova

Bossa nova was conceived as a new style to perform original Samba, with major American Jazz music influences. The term "bossa" could mean "way", "mode" or "style", giving significance to its name. Originating in the 1950s, the genre developed in brief performances of syncopated samba in social meetings of the Rio de Janeiro middle-class, with the slight infuence of Bebop and Cool Jazz, musical genres which were introduced in Brazil thanks to the strong influence of American post-war culture during the Juscelino Kubitschek government. The style, during its early stages of development, spread to other significant cultural areas of Rio de Janeiro (universities, pubs), giving it more presence into the local and Brazilian culture.

The year of 1959, with the release of Chega de saudade by the artist João Gilberto, is considered the official birth date of bossa nova. The first generation of the genre was represented by Antônio Carlos Jobim, some of whose compositions were performed by João Gilberto, and Vinicius de Moraes, one of the main lyricists of the inception of bossa nova. The duo of Jobim and de Moraes later composed another famous representative bossa nova work, "Garota de Ipanema". Carlos Lyra and Nara Leão were other great names of the first generation.

In the mid-1960s, the genre suffered a cultural split, motivated by artists like Edu Lobo and Marcos Valle and by Brazilian culture preservation organizations. Inspired by a nationalistic and left-wing ideology, these groups criticized the American jazz influence in the music, suggesting Brazilian Music-rooted influences instead. The second generation of the genre was conceived with bossa nova performers associating and collaborating with other great names of other Brazilian genres, giving a more "Brazilian" sound to the genre. In 1966 the bossa nova sound, incorporating strong native Brazilian musical influences, had moved away in style, composition and musical elements from the original genre, marking its end and the conception of the MPB movement, which had great initial influences of the late Brazilian-focused bossa nova sound.