Luis Bonfa, guitarist who helped found Bossa Nova, dies at 78

From: Gen Kanai (gkanai@earthlink.net)
Date: Wed Jan 17 2001 - 18:51:35 CET

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    Let's take a moment for this man who brought us so much wonderful music.

    Gen

    http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/americas/01/12/brazil.obit.bonfa.ap/index.html

    Luis Bonfa, guitarist who helped found Bossa Nova, dies at 78
    January 12, 2001
    Web posted at: 1:15 PM EST (1815 GMT)

    RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- Luis Floriano Bonfa, the master guitarist
    and composer who helped found Bossa Nova, died of cancer early Friday,
    doctors said. He was 78.

    Born in Rio de Janeiro on October 17, 1922, Bonfa began composing in the
    1940s and launched his career as a solo artist in 1952.

    Better known abroad than in his home country, Bonfa became internationally
    famous for his contributions to the soundtrack of the Marcel Camus' 1959
    classic film "Black Orpheus."

    The film introduced an international audience to Bossa Nova -- a
    more-sophisticated and less percussive samba style -- and made Bonfa and
    fellow composer Antonio Carlos Jobim stars.

    "Bonfa plays the guitar like no other, in a very personal, charismatic
    style. His guitar is a little orchestra," the late composer Jobim once said
    of his colleague.

    His reputation grew further when he was a featured performer at the Bossa
    Nova festival at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1962. He moved to the United
    States shortly afterward, returning to Brazil only in 1973.

    Widely admired for his guitar work, Bonfa was perhaps even more famous for
    his more than 500 compositions, including "Manha de Carnaval" and "Samba de
    Orpheu."

    Placido Domingo, Julio Iglesias, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley were among
    the artists who recorded songs written by Bonfa.

    He also performed with Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, George Benson
    and Stan Getz.

    In recent years, his productivity slowed somewhat. His last major label
    release, "The Bonfa Magic," was record in 1991. In 1997, he recorded an
    album "Almost in Love," together with the Brazilian singer Ithamara Koorax,
    that was only available over the Internet.

    Bonfa will be buried later Friday. It was not immediately clear whether
    Bonfa left any survivors.

    Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.



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