Bossa Nova vs Jazz A Comparative Analysis of Two P

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Comparison between Bossa Nova and JazzJonathan Ryan OrtunoUniversity of California, RiversideMusic of Brazil 019Professor Rogerio BudaszMarch 13, 2019

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Music has always been a subjective topic, from genres to instruments, it will always holda constant debate in each category or subcategory we listen to. Comparisons are often a debateand in music, many genres and ±eir sub genres may sound alike and are often mixed up witheach o±er to ±e common music listener Two styles of music we will dissect and compare willinclude the softer and popular dancing music the world offers us, between America's genre ofclassical and earthy grooves which is Jazz, and its Brazilian sub genre of the "New Wave" orflowing sound of Bossa Nova. Both of these styles of music are very popular and have similarattributes, however, Bossa Nova and Jazz are nut by any means the same type of music due totheir own unique origins, music structures, and uses in their own respective cultures. Thesegenres are huge and represent a big portion of their countries culture today, so they are to berespected in their own right. Furthermore, we will dive into their histories, effects on theircultures, and what exactly makes Bossa Nova and Jazz different from each other and how thecommon music listener can distinguish the 'difference between the two.Bo± Bossa Nova and Jazz have their own distinct sound which separates them and whatbetter way to begin discussing their similarities and differences then to go back to the origins ofboth genres? Beginning with Bossa Nova, its origins come from the 1950’s when Brazil, thecountry which Bossa Nova is from, was going through an erratic stage economically and was inthe process of becoming a progressive nation. Previously at the rime, the indigenous style ofSamba was the must popular style of music for Brazil, but due to the progressive nature thecountry had taken up, they sought to have a more commercial flow. "The word Bossa Nova itselfmeans, "New Trend" and in Brazil,the prefix Bossa signifies as "cool" or "hip" (Big History,2009). As a result of this new commercially appealing wave, the young people grasped on andwere the majority of the listeners when it first came out, becoming, popular in dubs, the beachand for people in the middle class specifically, as it had a more classier and mellowed soundcompared to previous trends such as Samba. Bossa Nova as a matter of fact, propelled the worldto have a more respectful view of Brazilians as "the timid and quiet vocal style of bossa novanegated the stereotype of Brazilians as an overemctive, exuberant race, to portray them ascontemplative, intimate, and sophisticated" (Reily, 2015, pg. 267). The essential elements ofBossa Nova were credited to composers, lyricist, and musicians in the late 1950’s, however themore well known and popular creators of the sub genre are credited to none other than the likes

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of Joao Gilberto and Tom Jobim. Jobim was a famous composer and vocalist as stated he. " wasknown in Brazil. .Along with The Girl from Ipanema', he composed and harmonized the tunes forsuch classics as Samba de UmaNota S6' ('The One Note Samba'), 'Desafinado' ('Off Key'),'Insensatez' (How Insensitive'), 'Corcovado' ('Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars'), ’Wave’, and theeternal 'Chega de Saudade'" (Reify, 1996, pg.1).Joao Gilberto on the other hand, was a popularand talented guitarist but also a vocalist who established the model for Bossa Nova's soft andrhythmically sound and flexible singing style, "with his signature soft, near- whispering croon,set standard few have equaled in music" (Dougan, 2019), "with his more popular works being,"Chega de Saudade" and "Desafinado" which are very popular in Brazil" (Murphy, 2006, p. 38).As stated Jobim, but also Gilberto are most famously recognized for their contributions toperhaps the biggest Bossa Nova song, "The Girl from Ipanema" which became globallyrecognized due to its cross-cultural approach in being in English and Portuguese. Furthermore,Bossa Nova was booming for only about 10 years, but that was enough time for the popular subgenre to reach multiple countries and inspire artistssuchas the famous, Frank Sinatra fromAmerica to help globalize the soft spoken and classy genre.Continuing on, the origin of Jazz has much more of a different story then that of BossaNova. Jazz was first originated in ±e United States in the early 20th century (1920's), credited tomostly the city of Harlem. New York, however it grewandwas popularized in New Orleans,Louisiana. Jazz was formulated by the melting pot of different races, but credited to mostlyAfrican-Americans being present at the region, and the clash of sounds such as ragtimes, theblues, ect, whose events eventually created the smooth sound we know it to be today.Jazz is acover-all name used to describe anything from hot New Orleans Jazz to some forms ofcontemporary electronica. The one thing that has remained relatively constant is the freedom toimprovise over a basic structure. Over the years. Jazz has evolved from very simple dance basedtunes to highly sophisticated harmonies As time progressed and recording inventions such as thephonograph became more prominent, it became more common for users to listen and that iswhen the genre became popular and globalized. "Numerous musicians are credited to start Jazzsuch as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington. CharheParker,and Miles Davis" (Smithsonian.2016)songssuchas "Brother, Where are You?" and "Strange Fruit" are some of the more popular andhistorical songs created. Once Jazz became globally recognized, other genres began to pop out.

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