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The most well known Bossa Nova song is “The Girl from Ipanema.” In it, the author describes an attractive girl walking down to the beach, and how she is the most striking girl that he has ever seen. This song personifies early Bossa Nova. It is beautiful, carefree, and noncommittal. These qualities, which Bossa Nova had been criticized for, are what made it a unique form of Latin music. It has been described as the music of the Brazilian middle and upper class because of its portrayal of a bohemian lifestyle that only they could enjoy.

Bossa Nova originated in the fifties during a time of economic growth in Brazil. It came from the wealthy, cultured towns that were located near the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Upper class musicians composed the music and it was made to appeal to other upper class citizens. Because Bossa Nova espoused a carefree, indulgent lifestyle, it was criticized for being too unrealistic, especially to the Brazilian working class.

Ironically, this form of music, which once stood for complacence and indulgence, was used in political protest. In the sixties political turbulence led to the military coup of 1964. Artists who had been critical of Bossa Nova for its trite, superficial emphasis began to use the form of music to teach fellow Brazilians about the unstable political, social and economic status of their country.

After 1964, a new style of Bossa Nova was born. This style of Bossa Nova used traditional Brazilian instruments and was fused with Samba, a type of Latin music preferred by the working class of the country. The music of the first generation of Bossa Nova, while unique, used the same altered chords found in Jazz music combined with the drum beat characteristic of Samba. The new Bossa Nova song lyrics were decidedly nationalistic and described the hardships of the Brazilians in this time of struggle.

Despite their ideological differences, both the early and late forms of Bossa Nova are linked to one another through Brazil’s history. They are each reflective of the period in which they were created: one in a time of growth and the other in a time of social upheaval.

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|| Bluegrass Music || Blues Music || Bossa Nova Music || Classical Music ||
|| Dance Music || Fiddle Music || Funk Music || Gypsy Music || Irish / Celtic Music ||
|| Italian Music || Jazz Music || Jewish / Klezmer Music || Latin Music ||
|| Rock & Roll Music || Ska Music || Swing Music || Tango Music || Violin Music ||