The song ‘Água de Beber’ represents a treasure of Bossa Nova, a masterful creation by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, released in 1961. The English version of the lyrics was meticulously crafted by Norman Gimbel.
The Bossa Nova was officially born on July 10, 1958, when João Gilberto recorded the song ‘Chega de Saudade’ at Odeon studios. The arrangements were made by Antonio Carlos Jobim, who also directed the orchestra. “That new way of singing and playing by João Gilberto brightened everything up,” summarizes writer Ruy Castro.
The story of the poem begins in João Cabral de Melo Neto’s private press in 1949. This poem is what was then called a “plaquete” (or booklet). The publication consists of a single, long poem by Vinicius. Friends since 1942, when Vinicius visited Recife with Waldo Frank, the two diplomats from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs corresponded frequently during that time. It was a period when Vinicius was still in Los Angeles, and João Cabral was in Barcelona.
The song The Girl from Ipanema began when Tom Jobim asked Vinicius de Moraes to write the lyrics for one of his compositions. Vinicius was inspired by Helô Pinheiro, an 18-year-old girl they used to see in Ipanema, buying cigarettes for her parents or simply walking past Bar Veloso, where they spent time drinking whiskey.
