March 29
Astrud Weinert 's Birthday
 


Bossa nova, a more sensual form of the samba, was developed in Brazil in the mid 1950s, and emerged primarily from the upscale beachside neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro, such as Ipanema.  It' soon spread to North America and then world-wide primarily in the mid-1960s  through the single "The Girl from Ipanema" was performed by Astrud Gilberto, along with Joćo Gilberto and Stan Getz, from the 1964 album Getz/Gilberto, became an international hit, reaching number five in the United States pop chart.
 
Astrud Weinert was raised in Rio de Janeiro. She married Joćo Gilberto in 1959 and emigrated to the United States in 1963, They divorced in the mid-1960s and she began a relationship with her musical partner, Stan Getz. Gilberto's recording of "The Girl from Ipanema" established her as a major jazz and pop singer. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. Her first solo album was The Astrud Gilberto Album (1964) .She then went on tour with Getz.

In 1982, Gilberto's son Marcelo joined her group, touring with her for more than a decade as bassist. In addition, he collaborated as co-producer of the albums Live in New York (1996) and Temperance (1997). Her son Gregory Lasorsa played guitar on the Temperance album---on the song "Beautiful You."

Gilberto received the "Latin Jazz USA Award for Lifetime Achievement" in 1992, and was inducted into the "International Latin Music Hall of Fame." In 2002. she announced  that she was taking "indefinite time off" from public performances.

When Frito-Lay used "The Girl from Ipanema" in a TV ad for its baked potato chips, Astrud sues and argued that "as the result of the huge success of the 1964 recording, and her frequent subsequent performances of "Ipanema," she has become known as The Girl from Ipanema and is identified by the public with the 1964 recording. She claimed as a result to have earned trademark rights in the 1964 recording, which she contends the public recognizes as a mark designating her as a singer. She argued  that Frito-Lay could not lawfully use the 1964 recording in an advertisement for its chips without her permission." Her claims were rejected.

Hearing a Muzak version of "The Girl from Ipanema" in an elevator has become a recurring gimmick in several films This tradition most likely began with the climactic scene of The Blues Brothers (1980): the title characters listen to the song during a slow elevator ride in a building being surrounded by police and S.W.A.T teams. and in many subsequent films, notably Deep Rising (1998), Finding Nemo (2003),  Mallrats (1995), and Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005).

So here's the perfect dish to serve Astrud on her birthday while watching "The Girl from Ipanema" scene in The Blues Brothers   Just don't serve it with Frito-Lay potato chips.

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Ipanema Grilled Chicken and Apricot Salad

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
 
Marinade

1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB lemon zest
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper

 

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 TB sugar
2 TB chopped fresh chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 head romaine lettuce
2 cups dried apricot, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup white raisins
Instructions

1   Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
2   Place the chicken in the bowl and marinate for one hour.
3   Preheat the grill to medium high.
4   Grill the chicken for 10-15 minutes, turning once.
5   Cool slightly, cut into cubes and set aside.
6   Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7   Set aside.
8   Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and wisk well.
9.  Shred the lettuce.
10. Combine the lettuce with the chicken,  apricots, raisins and the dressing.

Serves 4

 

© 2011 Gordon Nary and Tyler Stokes