Brazilian Bossa Nova is nearly three decades old. This musical style merits special attention because it is a prime example of modernization in Latin American popular music and because of its impact in other nations, most notably the United States.
In the early 1950s, Brazilian musicians including Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, and Luíz Bonfa, were exposed to jazz records from the popular West Coast. By the late 1950s, these musicians had blended elements of the Brazilian samba rhythm, commonly heard in parades and street music, with the delicate sound and harmonic approach of cool jazz.
João Gilberto from the Brazilian State of Bahia started a quiet revolution with his recordings "Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)" and "Desafinado (Off Key)" on the World Pacific label. They featured arrangements by a young Antonio Carlos Jobim, of Rio de Janeiro. Gilberto's Afro-Indian-influenced Portuguese vocals complemented his unique guitar style, which ingeniously reduced the samba's intricate polyrhythms down to the most essential beats. Jobim expanded Gilberto's harmonies with French impressionist chord progressions. He also took the guitarist's unique rhythmic approach into a catchy combo rhythm, which left room for improvisation.
In "Desafinado" Gilberto sang a line that's translated as "...it's the bossa nova. It's very natural…". This immidiatly gave birth to a new style of music, destined to win over the world. Bossa Nova, a very laid back, cool style of Brazillian jazz.

The Bossa Nova movement brought innovations in performance style and structural modifications to ballad forms and to the samba in general. It altered several stylistic parameters, seeking dynamic integration of melody, harmony and rhythm while de-emphasizing the vocalist as the center of attention. Instead of the traditional binary samba beat, diversified syncopation was used, and a standard drum pattern became the norm. Rhythmic foundations set by drums and bass were complemented by syncopated plucking of acoustic guitar chords.
Bossa Nova introduced new patterns of harmony or chord progressions, frequently using the altered chords associated with jazz, eg. b9, #13 etc. Melodic lines are often sparse and chromatic, seemingly difficult or dissonant to the unattuned ear. A reserved, understated vocal delivery was characteristic. This approach contrasted sharply with the style of the samba-canção. Many of these new features resembled those of the "cool jazz" of the West Coast of the USA, which many young Brazilian musicians admired. Gilberto's 1959 recording of "A felicidade," from the film Orfeu Negro, is an excellent example of contrast because traditional carnival samba alternates with the new Bossa Nova style.
Bossa Nova texts also showed changes in attitude. Lyricists avoided the melodramatic and tragic outlook of the samba-canção, instead tending to reflect the amenities of middle-class life and using a calm tone performed in an intimate and controlled manner. A classic example is the internationally known "Garota de Ipanema" or "The Girl from Ipanema" by Jobim and Vinícius de Morais.
A branch of instrumental improvisation also grew within the movement. Jazz-like pieces were composed and melodies originally written for vocal performance were explored. Although several Brazilian vocalists, including João Gilberto himself, were successful in the United States in the 1960s, North American interpretations of Bossa Nova tended to be of the instrumental variety.