"Bonita" (meaning "Pretty" in English) is a

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovativ ...

song composed by

Antônio Carlos Jobim Antônio Carlos Brasileiro de Almeida Jobim (25 January 1927 – 8 December 1994), also known as Tom Jobim (), was a Brazilian composer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, and singer. Considered one of the great exponents of Brazilian mu ...

, with lyrics in English credited to

Gene Lees Frederick Eugene John Lees (February 8, 1928 – April 22, 2010) was a Canadian music critic, biographer, lyricist, and journalist. Lees worked as a newspaper journalist in his native Canada before moving to the United States, where he was a music ...

and

Ray Gilbert Ray Gilbert (September 5, 1912 – March 3, 1976) was an American lyricist. He grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. Career Gilbert is best remembered for the lyrics to the Oscar-winning song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" from the film ''Song of the South'', w ...

. According to Brazilian author

Ruy Castro Ruy Castro (born 27 February 1948, in Caratinga) is a Brazilian author and journalist. In 1996 he was a co-winner of the Prêmio Jabuti. He is known for his writings concerning Bossa nova and for his biographies, profiling figures such as Garri ...

, Jobim composed the song in 1963, after being inspired by "a young woman,

Candice Bergen Candice Patricia Bergen (born May 9, 1946) is an American actress. She won five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of the title character on the CBS sitcom ''Murphy Brown'' (1988–1998, 2018). She is also know ...

, whom he had the pleasure of meeting at the home of the president of

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

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. The pleasure, by the way, was mutual." Jobim made the first recording of the song in 1965, for his album, ''

The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''. In 1969,

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

performed the song with Jobim for their planned album ''SinatraJobim,'' but at the last minute, Sinatra stopped release of the record. Seven of the ten songs from those sessions were eventually released as Side A of ''

Sinatra & Company ''Sinatra & Company'' is an album by American singer Frank Sinatra released in 1971. The first side of this album is in the bossa nova style, and the second side is influenced by soft rock, featuring two songs from John Denver. The bossa nova re ...

'' (1971), but "Bonita" was not included. It finally appeared in 1977 on a Reprise UK album entitled, '' Portrait of Sinatra – Forty Songs from the Life of a Man'', and was later included on '' Sinatra–Jobim Sessions'' (1979) and '' Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings'' (2010).

, who had written several other English-language lyrics for Jobim, claims that "Jobim gave my lyric to ''Bonita'', which I had written in New York, to Ray Gilbert, who altered a phrase or two and put his name on it. If you look at the credits on the back of the album titled ''The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim'' ... you'll find that the writer credit on ''Bonita'' reads Jobim/Gilbert. Gilbert produced an album for

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

in which he again used the song, again taking credit for the lyric.... I was furious at both records and took the matter up with the American Guild of Authors and Composers. A hearing was organized, with

Sheldon Harnick Sheldon Mayer Harnick (born April 30, 1924) is an American lyricist and songwriter best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on musicals such as ''Fiorello!'' and ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Early life Sheldon Mayer Harnick was bo ...

as its chairman, and I presented the evidence of my authorship. The committee ruled that it was indeed my lyric, solely or largely.... The contretemps over ''Bonita'' was one of the reasons I parted company with Jobim."

Recorded versions

- ''

'' (1965) and '' A Certain Mr. Jobim'' (1967) *

Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; born February 11, 1941) is a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his group Brasil '66. He has over 55 releases and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk. He was nominated for ...

- '' The Great Arrival'' (1966) *

Sylvia Telles Silvia D'Atri Telles (; August 27, 1934 – December 17, 1966) was a Brazilian jazz samba and bossa nova singer of the 1950s and 1960s. Life Daughter of Paulo Telles and Maria Amelia D'Atri, Sylvia was born in 1934 and she had the ambition to be ...

- ''Sylvia Telles Sings The Wonderful Songs Of Antonio Carlos Jobim'' (1966) *

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion dur ...

- ''

The Return of the Prodigal Son The Parable of the Prodigal Son (also known as the parable of the Two Brothers, Lost Son, Loving Father, or of the Forgiving Father) is one of the parables of Jesus Christ in the Bible, appearing in Luke 15:11–32. Jesus shares the parable wit ...

'' (rec. 1967, released 2008) *

Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Pol ...

- ''

Daddy Bug ''Daddy Bug'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers released on the Atlantic label in 1969.Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

- '' Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings'' (rec. 1969, released 2010) *

Nara Leão Nara Lofego Leão (; January 19, 1942 – June 7, 1989) was a Brazilian bossa nova and MPB (popular Brazilian music) singer and occasional actress. Her husband was Carlos Diegues, director and writer of ''Bye Bye Brasil''. Life Leão was born ...

- ''

Dez Anos Depois ''Dez Anos Depois'' () is a 1971 double album of bossa nova standards by Brazilian singer Nara Leão. The first LP is entirely acoustic. The arrangements and accompaniment, made by Brazilian guitarist Tuca, with occasional piano lines, were reco ...

'' (1971) *

Elis Regina Elis Regina Carvalho Costa (March 17, 1945 – January 19, 2002), known professionally as Elis Regina (), was a Brazilian singer of MPB and jazz music. She is also the mother of the singers Maria Rita and Pedro Mariano. She became nationally ...

- '' Elis & Tom: 30th Anniversary Edition'' (1974) - Bonus track *

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

- '' Copacabana (1979)'' *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

- ''

Ella Abraça Jobim ''Ella Abraça Jobim'' or ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook'' is a 1981 studio album by Ella Fitzgerald, devoted to the songs of Antônio Carlos Jobim. It was reissued on CD in 1991, although the CD version does not inclu ...

'' (1981) *

Mongo Santamaría Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría Rodríguez (April 7, 1917 – February 1, 2003) was a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga and ...

- ''Brazilian Sunset'' (rec. 1992, released 1996) *

Gal Costa Gal Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos (born Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos; 26 September 1945 – 9 November 2022), known professionally as Gal Costa (), was a Brazilian singer of popular music. She was one of the main figures of the tro ...

- ''Gal Costa Canta Tom Jobim Ao Vivo'' (1999) *

Ivan Lins Ivan Guimarães Lins (born June 16, 1945) is a Latin Grammy-winning Brazilian musician. He has been an active performer and songwriter of Brazilian popular music (MPB) and jazz for over thirty years. His first hit, "Madalena", was recorded by ...

- ''Jobiniando'' (2001) *

Jaques Morelenbaum Jaques Morelenbaum (() born 18 May 1954) is a Brazilian instrumentalist, arranger, conductor, composer and music producer. Morelenbaum was born in Rio de Janeiro, the son of conductor Henrique Morelenbaum and piano teacher Sarah Morelenbaum. Hi ...

, Paula Morelenbaum, and

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- ''Morelenbaum 2/Sakamoto: Casa'' (2001) *

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian jazz pianist, sin ...

- ''

Love Stories Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the lov ...

'' (2019)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonita (Antonio Carlos Jobim song) Frank Sinatra songs Ella Fitzgerald songs Songs with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim Bossa nova songs Brazilian songs