João Gilberto

João Gilberto (born João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira on June 10, 1931 in the town of Juazeiro, Bahia) is a Brazilian musician and considered one of the creators, with Tom Jobim (

João Gilberto (born João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira on June 10, 1931 in the town of Juazeiro, Bahia) is a Brazilian musician and considered one of the creators, with Tom Jobim (Antonio Carlos Jobim) and Vinicius de Moraes, of bossa nova.

From an early age, music was a part of João Gilberto's life. His grandfather bought him his first guitar at the age of 14. During high school, Gilberto teamed up with some of his classmates to form a small band. Gilberto, who led the band, was influenced by Brazilian pop, American jazz, and even some opera, among other genres. In terms of the jazz influence, it was mostly Duke Ellington and Tommy Dorsey who made their way into Gilberto’s ears. A short stint in the city of Salvador, Brazil involving live radio performances, captured the attention of Antonio Maria, who convinced the young Gilberto, in 1950, to move to Rio de Janeiro and join the pop vocal group Garotos da Lua (The Boys of the Moon) as lead singer. After a year and a half, he was kicked out of the group for his lack of discipline (he would often show up late to rehearsals or not at all).