Tom Jobim Statue Inaugurated in Rio at Ipanema Beach

By Lisa Flueckiger, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Twenty years after famous Brazilian composer Tom Jobim’s death, a statue in his honor has been inaugurated yesterday (December 8th) in Ipanema. The statue of the creator of the “Girl from Ipanema” stands on the shore at Arpoador beach, one of the artist’s favorites spots.

The life-size sculpture was crafted by Christina Motta, the same artist who did the Brigitte Bardot statue in Búzios and six others in the beach town and who worked on it for four months. Motta told the media that she based Jobim’s look on a picture from his best times, in the 1960’s where he was with Vinícius de Moraes.

“Twenty years ago we lost our greatest maestro. He needed to be immortalized at the place where he spent most of his life. We already installed two cameras, but we hope they won’t be necessary and that the population knows how to take care of one of their icons and their heritage,” Antônio Pedro Figueira de Mello, Rio’s Secretary for Tourism, stated.

The inauguration took place in presence of Jobim’s family, who approved of the statue and was accompanied by a performance of the Sexteto Terra Brasilis band. The sculpture shows the artist with his guitar over his right shoulder and looks like if he was just casually walking along the beach.

Tom Jobim was one of Brazil’s most famous artists and is mainly known for his bossa nova songs such as “Girl from Ipanema” and “Samba do avião”, which made Rio de Janeiro world famous. The composer who was born in Tijuca was a real multi-talent and worked among others as composer, pianist, singer and guitarist. He died on December 8, 1994 in New York when he was 67 years old.