Pery Ribeiro

Pery Ribeiro, offspring of composer Herivelto Martins and vocalist Dalva de Oliveira, emerged as a pivotal figure in bossa nova through his introduction of "Garota de Ipanema." Early on he supplied vocals for Walt Disney animated features. His screen debut arrived in 1944 with an appearance in Luís de Barros's Berlim na Batucada. Radio exposure followed in 1959 on Paulo Gracindo's program at Rádio Nacional, where godfather César de Alencar proposed the stage name Pery Ribeiro. The first song to bear his credit, "Não Devo Insistir," co-written with Dora Lopes, was captured by Dalva de Oliveira in 1960, the same year Ribeiro cut his initial single.

Bossa nova standards filled his 1961 sessions, among them "Manhã de Carnaval" and "Samba de Orfeu" (both Luís Bonfá/Antônio Maria) plus "Barquinho" (Roberto Menescal/Ronaldo Bôscoli). Guitarist Luís Bonfá supported the 1962 debut LP Pery Ribeiro e Seu Mundo de Canções Românticas. Enormous success greeted the following year's Pery é Todo Bossa, which contained the premiere recording of "Garota de Ipanema" (Tom Jobim/Vinícius de Moraes) together with further bossa classics such as "Me Lembro Vagamente," "Nós e o Mar," "Ah! Se eu Pudesse," and "Rio" (all Roberto Menescal/Ronaldo Bôscoli) and additional originals.

"Berimbau" (Baden Powell/Vinícius de Moraes), "Baiãozinho" (Eumir Deodato), "Feio Não é Bonito" (Carlos Lyra/Gianfrancesco Guarnieri), and "Você" (Roberto Menescal/Ronaldo Bôscoli) appeared on 1964's Pery Muito Mais Bossa. The next year Ribeiro joined Leny Andrade and the Bossa 3 to form Gemini V; the ensemble enjoyed acclaim at the Porão 73 club and the Princesa Isabel theater ("Rio"), documenting the performances on the live album Gemini V/Show na Boate Porão 73/Leny Andrade, Pery Ribeiro e Bossa Três. A six-month Mexican engagement with Gemini V proved successful in 1967.

In 1966 Ribeiro traveled to the United States and integrated into Bossa Rio alongside Sérgio Mendes, Gracinha Leporace, Osmar Milito, Manfredo Fest, Otávio Bailly, and Ronnie Mesquita, appearing in multiple American cities. He rejoined Leny Andrade in Rio during 1971 to record Gemini Cinco Anos Depois. Returning to Mexico in 1974, he shared bills in Acapulco with Eliana Pittman and Herivelto Martins. The 1986 collaboration with Luís Eça yielded Pra Tanto Viver. At a Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro presentation Ribeiro honored his father, who received the Shell Prize on that occasion.