Gal Costa, legendary Brazilian singer, has died at age 77. He had been ill with cancer.
A legend on the Brazilian music scene, his legacy still resonates, especially in Portugal, where his greatest musical influence was the late Portuguese singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist António Carlos Jobim.
His many hits include “Em Aventura (With a Smile),” “The Girl from Ipanema” (his own composition), a ballad that has been covered by millions, “A Música de amor e paz,” “Para o Amor e Paz” and “Os Doce.”
Costa also made a career as a voice teacher.
“I’ve always liked to sing,” he wrote in a 1998 New York Times feature, “but I never cared much about singing.”
Costa had a long life. Born Oct. 18, 1934 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he made his stage debut in a nightclub at age 15.
“My family saw I was a musician, and they took me to the radio station, where I recorded a couple of songs on the piano and the piano. In the meantime, I was still looking for a job.”
But it wasn’t until the mid-1960s that the young singer’s career would become a phenomenon. He released three albums in England and the United States — including a duet with the pop singer Dionne Warwick. (Her version of “Os Doce” was a No. 1 hit on the U.S. pop chart.)
In 1966, he formed a group with Joaquim Machado, a jazz bass player. The next year, he left the group and went on to achieve stardom with a series of solo releases, including “A Música de amor e paz,” “Em Aventura,” “Amor E Paz” and “O Anjo do Anjo.”
