BRAZIL-IPANEMA/JOBIM Statue of Bossa Nova visionary Tom Jobim unveiled in Ipanema

Record ID: 820947

  • Title: BRAZIL-IPANEMA/JOBIM Statue of Bossa Nova visionary Tom Jobim unveiled in Ipanema
  • Date: 8th December 2014
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (FILE) (REUTERS) PEOPLE DINING IN THE "GIRL FROM IPANEMA" RESTAURANT IN IPANEMA, NAMED AFTER JOBIM'S MOST FAMOUS SONG
  • Embargoed: 23rd December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Brazil
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA65OHLAGC6FUZE458LLYYLT8TQ
  • Story Text: A statue of Tom Jobim was unveiled on Ipanema Beach on Monday (December 8) to mark 20 years since the death of one of Brazil's most widely respected musicians.
    The statue was placed at the start of the Vieria Souto Avenue, close to Arpoador, an iconic rock jutting out into the sea, where Jobim found much of his inspiration.
    "Ipanema and Arpoador are very symbolic spots," Jobim's son, Paulo Jobim, told Reuters TV at the unveiling.
    "He really liked Arpoador, he would catch the waves here, go fishing. So the statue has been placed in a lovely position. Whoever passes by the shoreline will see him here, then further down pass by Caymmi and then Dummond. So he will be close to his peers here," Jobim's son said, referring to nearby statues of musician Dorival Caymmi and poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade.
    Sculptor Christina Motta said that it was necessary to study Jobim in detail in order to create his statue.
    "When we set out to depict someone in a sculpture, we have to know how he sits, how he walks, how he speaks, his gestures and expressions. So I researched him and I thought that I could use the image of him walking alongside Vinicius (Moraes) in the inauguration of Brasilia, which is a well known photo," said Motta.
    Antonio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim, known simply as Tom Jobim, co-founded the Bossa Nova movement with Vinicius de Moraes and Joao Gilberto, fusing elements of samba and jazz in a cool, lyrical style popularized in the 1950s and 1960s.
    In 1964, competing with the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley, Jobim won the Grammy award for his song "Girl from Ipanema".
    Nowadays, tourists and Brazilians alike flock to Ipanema to experience the sights of relaxed affluence and beauty which inspired the song, and which has in turn inspired the name of a popular restaurant close to the beach, showcasing his life and work.
    Frank Sinatra dedicated two albums to the Bossa Nova great, who tragically died of a heart attack at 67 whilst he was living in New York and fighting cancer.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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