It’s only when a performer of planetary magnitude, such as João Gilberto, passes away that one can appreciate how much we, authors and composers, owe to those who make our works reach and impact each and every soul on Earth. Back in Africa in the 60s, I would have hardly known of bossa-nova, hardly heard of the incredible work of Jobim, Buarque and others without João’s voice, soft, pristine, precise and fundamental to my education. RIP.