Luis Bonfà Composer Of Black Orpheus Plays And Sings Bossa Nova
As the title indicates, Luis Bonfà did, indeed, compose music for the 1959 film Black Orpheus, based on a play by Vinicius de Moraes which, itself, was an adaptation of Orpheus and Eurydice. The Greek legend was tranposed to contemporary Rio de Janeiro (coincidentally, Bonà's birthplace), during Carnival.
The soundtrack was composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim, and included songs such as Manhã de Carnaval, which is now a bossa nova standard. In all, he composed nine songs for the film.
This gives you a fair idea of what to expect from this rhythmic and spirited celebration of Brazilian Bossa Nova, with some Samba and Latin-infused Cha-Cha, by one of Brazil's foremost composers, with another soundtrack notable: Lalo Schrifin, and one of Bossa Nova's founding fathers, Oscar Castro Neves.
In other words, it's a fabulous and seminal recording!