Biography
One of the founders of bossa nova alongside collaborators like Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, Luiz Bonfá was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 17, 1922. After teaching himself the rudiments of guitar as a child, he began studying with classical guitar maestro Isaías Sávio at the age of 12. In 1957, he collaborated with de Moraes and Jobim on the allegorical stage musical Orfeo de Carnaval, a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice set in the favelas of Rio. The play featured Bonfá's composition "Manha de Carnaval" ("Morning of Carnival"), which became the first international bossa nova standard after it appeared in director Marcel Camus' Oscar-winning film version, "Orfeu Negro" (1959). Although Bonfá's style was more deeply rooted in traditional samba than slightly younger jazz-oriented composers like Jobim, Bonfá quickly became an international exemplar of bossa nova through albums like Luiz Bonfá Plays and Sings Bossa Nova (1962) and a collaboration with American saxophonist Stan Getz, Jazz Samba Encore! (1963). Although Bonfá remained mostly a favorite of bossa nova fans, he did occasionally cross over into pop consciousness. His "Almost In Love" was covered by Elvis Presley in one of his later movies, "Live A Little, Love A Little" (1968), and Australian pop singer Gotye based his international hit "Somebody That I Used To Know" on a sample of Bonfá's tune "Seville" in 2011. Luiz Bonfá died at the age of 78 on January 12, 2001.
