Astrud Gilberto, born Astrud Evangelina Weinert on March 29, 1940, in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, was a renowned Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer and songwriter. She passed away on June 5, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Gilberto was a pivotal figure in the bossa nova movement, a genre that blends Brazilian samba rhythms with jazz.

Raised in Rio de Janeiro, Astrud was the daughter of a Brazilian mother and a German father, both educators. Her father was a language professor, which contributed to her fluency in several languages. She married the influential musician João Gilberto in 1959, and they had a son, João Marcelo Gilberto. The couple separated in 1964, and Astrud later had another son, Gregory LaSorsa, with Nicholas LaSorsa.

Astrud's musical career took off unexpectedly when she was invited to sing on the 1963 album "Getz/Gilberto," featuring her husband João, saxophonist Stan Getz, and composer Antônio Carlos Jobim. Her soft, whispery vocals on "The Girl from Ipanema" captivated audiences worldwide, earning the track a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. Despite its success, Astrud received only a standard session fee for her contribution.

Following this breakthrough, Astrud Gilberto embarked on a successful solo career, releasing her debut album "The Astrud Gilberto Album" in 1965. She continued to record and perform extensively, collaborating with various artists and exploring songwriting. Her work included the soundtrack for the film "The Deadly Affair" in 1967 and a notable performance at the Tokyo Music Festival in 1976.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Astrud toured with a band that included her son Marcelo. She co-founded Gregmar Productions, Inc. with her sons and released "Astrud Gilberto—Live in New York" in 1996. Her final album, "Jungle," was released in 2002, the same year she was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. Astrud retired from performing in 2002 to focus on animal rights and art. In 2008, she received a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, cementing her legacy as a key ambassador of bossa nova music.