Composers Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Gilberto developed bossa nova in Brazil in the 1950s and '60s, and once they combined forces with American jazz musicians such as Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz the formula was perfected. Fusing jazz instrumentation and improvisation with Brazilian rhythms and harmony, bossa nova can be extremely smooth on the ears while remaining musically complex. It was the 1963 number one hit "The Girl from Ipanema," featuring Astrud Gilberto's sultry vocals in both Portuguese and English, that brought bossa nova to the world's attention.

Notable Artists: Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Nara Leao, Sergio Mendes