Chega de Saudade

Album review

Chega de Saudade (1959) is the first album by Bahian musician João Gilberto, whose reputation as a genius had already begun to grow following his studio work with other artists. Chega de Saudade didn’t just kick-start João Gilberto’s solo career, it also gave rise to Bossa Nova, a musical genre that set Brazilian music on a whole new trajectory. Soft vocals, inspired by American jazz, combined with a new kind of guitar rhythm (which would eventually be termed "bossa rhythm") were the definitive elements that consolidated his album as the spark that started this new musical movement.

This new way of playing the instrument became popular among the younger generations of the time and inspired musicians like Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Jorge Ben, Chico Buarque and Milton Nascimento. At the same time, João Gilberto also managed to win over the older generation with Chega de Saudade: although revolutionary for its time, the album didn’t forget the musical roots of Brazil. His repertoire includes compositions by renowned artists such as Ary Barroso, Geraldo Pereira and Dorival Caymmi, with each piece of music being  given a fresh new twist.

A year before his solo debut, João Gilberto got involved with the album Canção de Amor Demais by Elizeth Cardoso, playing the guitar in the song Chega de Saudade, composed by Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim. In this record, you can already hear the beginnings of the "bossa rhythm". However, it wasn’t until the release of the LP Chega de Saudade and João Gilberto’s version of the song that Bossa Nova was finally consolidated. The album was produced by Aloysio de Oliveira and features arrangements and orchestral direction by Tom Jobim, making this album an instant success, both critically and commercially. Including classics such as Desafinado, Chega de Saudade and Bim Bom, who can be surprised? © Nathália Padua/Bananas