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His son Marcelo Gilberto said on Facebook "his
fight was noble and he tried to maintain dignity". His daughter
in law wrote: "Deep sadness. All he wanted was to be with us and
to play with his granddaughter".
The family did not disclose the cause of death.
Brazilian artists paid tribute to one of the country's most
well-known artists. Singer Gal Costa said Brazil lost "its
biggest music genius. His legacy is huge to Brazil and the
world". Critic Zuza Homem de Mello told Globonews TV station
that Gilberto was the responsible for making Brazilian music
known worldwide.
Born in Bahia, a notheastern Brazilian state, Joćo Gilberto
Prado de Oliveira began singing at 18. After moving to Rio de
Janeiro, he released the record "Chega de Saudade" in 1959,
which marked the beginning of the world-famous bossa nova music
style.
His 1964 album "Getz/Gilberto" with American saxophone player
Stan Getz sold millions of copies, won several Grammy awards and
popularized bossa nova around the world.
The album featured the song "The Girl from Ipanema" by musician
Antonio Carlos Jobim and poet Vinicius de Moraes, sung in
Portuguese by Gilberto and in English by his first wife, Astrud
Gilberto. The song became a global hit and a jazz standard.
Joao Gilberto was married three times, first to Astrud Gilberto
and then to the singer, Miucha, and later to his manager Claudia
Faissol. He is survived by a son, Joćo Marcelo, and daughters
Luiza and Bebel Gilberto, also a singer.
His last concert was in 2008. He did not leave his apartment
during his last years, which also were market by court disputes
between his children.
(Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by David Gregorio)
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