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A felicidade
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Wikipedia article
'"A felicidade"' ("Happiness") is a bossa nova song by Antnio Carlos Jobim, with lyrics by Vincius de Moraes, composed in 1958 for the French film 'Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus).'
The theme of the song is the fragility of happiness. The lyrics begin: "'Tristeza no tem fim. Felicidade sim'" ("Sadness has no ending. Happiness does"). The lyrics compare happiness to a drop of dew, a feather floating in the wind, and the poor escaping their reality in the fantasies of Carnaval, emphasizing the transitory nature of each. The final stanzas reference the "'namorada'" (girlfriend/sweetheart) of the character singing the song, without touching directly on the theme of impermanence and loss. In the context of the film, however, these stanzas describe Orfeu's search for Euridice after her death ("' como esta noite, passando, passando, em busca da madrugada...'" ("It's like tonight, passing, passing, in search of dawn...").
Jobim and Vincius collaborated on several songs for the 1956 stage play, 'Orfeu da Conceio', but French producer Sacha Gordine wanted new material for the film version. According to author Ruy Castro, "The duo wrote three songs, mostly over the telephone, given that Vinicus was now working for the Itamaraty in Montevideo: 'A felicidade,' 'Frevo,' and 'O nosso amor.'" Agostinho dos Santos sings "A felicidade" during the opening credits of the movie, accompanied by Roberto Menescal on guitar.
The film won the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival and the 1960 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, bringing worldwide attention to Jobim, Moraes, and the bossa nova movement.
A French version of the song, with lyrics by Andr Salvet, is known as "Adieu tristesse", and an Italian version, with lyrics by Mario Panzeri, is entitled "Felicit".
Recorded versions
* Joo Gilberto - " a felicidade" 'Desafinado' 2015
* Joo Gilberto 'A felicidade/O nosso amor' [78rpm, Odeon, 14.491] (1959) and 'Live in Montreux' (1987)
* Sylvia Telles 'Amor de gente moa (Musicas de Antonio Carlos Jobim)' (1959)
* Radames Gnattali 'Radams Gnattali Sexteto Radams na Europa com seu Sexteto e Edu' (1960)
* Sonia y Myriam 'En La Habana' (recorded as 'Samba de Orfeo) (1960)
* Bob Brookmeyer 'Trombone Jazz Samba' (1962)
* Willie Bobo 'Bobo's Beat' (1963)
* Billy Eckstine 'Now Singing in 12 Great Movies' (1963)
* Charlie Byrd 'Byrd Song' (1964) and 'More Brazilian Byrd' (1967)
* Vince Guaraldi Trio 'Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus' (rec. 1964, released 2010 on remastered version)
* Antnio Carlos Jobim - 'The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim' (1965) and 'Indito' (1987)
* The Ramsey Lewis Trio 'The In Crowd' (1965)
* Astrud Gilberto 'Look to the Rainbow' (1966)
* Hugh Masekela 'The Emancipation of Hugh Masekela' (1966)
* Claudine Longet 'Claudine' (1967)
* Bola Sete 'Bola Sete at the Monterey Jazz Festival' (1967)
* Tito Madi 'Balano Zona Sul' (1968)
* Cal Tjader 'Solar Heat' (1968)
* Vinicius de Moraes 'En 'La fusa' con Maria Creuza e Toquinho' (1970)
* Milton Nascimento 'Milton' (1970)
* Kenny Drew Trio 'Dark Beauty' (rec. 1974, released 1991 on reissued version)
* Niels-Henning rsted Pedersen 'Jaywalkin' (1975)
* Tom Z 'Estudando o samba' (1976)
* Orlandivo - 'Orlandivo' (1977)
* Ella Fitzgerald - 'Ella Abraa Jobim' (1981)
* Nara Leo 'Garota de Ipanema' (1985)
* Rosa Passos - 'Curare' (1991)
* George Cables 'Skylark' (1995)
* Joe Henderson - 'Double Rainbow: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim' (1995)
* Lee Konitz - 'Brazilian Rhapsody' (1995)
* Eliane Elias - 'Eliane Elias Sings Jobim' (1998)
* Gal Costa - 'Gal Costa canta Tom Jobim ao vivo' (1999)
* Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum 'Quarteto Jobim-Morelenbaum' (1999)
* Dori Caymmi 'Influncias' (2001)
* Vinicius Canturia 'Silva' (2005)
* Jeff Hamilton 'From Studio 4, Cologne, Germany' (2006)
* Quarteto em Cy- "Vinicius em Cy" (1993)
References
Category:Songs with music by Antnio Carlos Jobim
Category:Songs with lyrics by Vinicius de Moraes
Category:Bossa nova songs
Category:Brazilian songs
Category:Songs written by Mario Panzeri
Category:1958 songs
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