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2007-2025

Backgrounder: Johnny Alf: 'Rapaz de Bem,' 1961

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Marc Myers
Apr 12, 2024
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For those in the know, Johnny Alf has long been thought of as the father of the bossa nova. Whether that statement is completely accurate or whether he was merely a significant influence has been hotly debated over the years. Even if the Brazilian singer-songwriter wasn't the bossa's earliest pure exponent, his softly romantic, Johnny Mathis-like vocal …

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