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It’s high time I learned some Latin rhythms, starting with Bossa Nova.

I once had a boyfriend from Columbia who told me that I danced like a “white tourist,” and this phrase has haunted me for years to come. For a long time it convinced me I should just stick to ballads where no one would notice my white-tourist-ness.

I also felt like I didn’t really get Bossa Nova. I associated it with tacky lounge music that I was forced to listen to while waiting for my dentist to pick up.

My one cultural reference to Bossa was that scene in Wayne’s World when Honey tries to seduce Garth:

“Take me Garth” “Where? I’m low on gas and you need a jacket”

“I’m gonna be frank” “Okay, can I still be Garth?”

Then, I saw a masterclass on JazzVoice.com about Bossa Nova. The speaker described Bossa as “whispers”, as a style of music that should make the tiny hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

I really liked this description. It helped frame the music as sort of a Lo-Fi Hip Hop of it’s day. The kind of music you could lay down on the floor, close your eyes and just fall into.

So here I am, clumsily learning Bossa rhythms and coming to terms with the fact that for a long time I heard the name “Jobim” but thought it was “Joe Beam.”

“Joe Beam”- Influential jazz composer & guitarist, heir to the the alcohol empire of his great, great, grandfather, Jim Beam.

(…because isn’t it always true that when you find some great artist you love you find out that they have insanely rich parents?? Oh the things I would do with a trust fund!)