Brazillian singer Astrud Gilberto, best known for her English-language cameo on The Girl from Ipanema, has died at age 83.

Musician Paul Ricci, a family friend, confirmed that she died on Monday, but did not provide additional details.

Raised in Rio de Janeiro, Gilberto became an overnight, unexpected superstar in 1964, thanks to knowing just enough English to be recruited by the makers of Getz/Gilberto.

The classic bossa nova album featured saxophonist Stan Getz and her then-husband, singer-songwriter-guitarist Joao Gilberto.

The Girl from Ipanema was already a hit in South America but Getz/Gilberto producer Creed Taylor and others thought they could expand the record’s appeal by including both Portuguese and English language vocals.

In a 2002 interview with friends Gilberto remembered her husband saying he had a surprise for her at the recording studio.

“Later on, while rehearsing with Stan, as they were in the midst of going over the song The Girl from Ipanema, Joao casually asked me to join in, and sing a chorus in English, after he had just sung the first chorus in Portuguese. So, I did just that.

“When we were finished performing the song, Joao turned to Stan, and said something like: ‘Tomorrow Astrud sing on record… What do you think?’ Stan was very receptive, in fact very enthusiastic; he said it was a great idea.

“The rest, of course, as one would say, ‘is history’.”

Gilberto sings The Girl from Ipanema in a light style that influenced Sade and Suzanne Vega among others, as if she had already moved on to other matters.

But her words, translated from the Portuguese version by Norman Gimbel, would be remembered like few others from the era.

Getz/Gilberto sold more than two million copies and The Girl from Ipanema, was released as a single with Gilberto as the only vocalist.

The Girl from Ipanema won a Grammy in 1965 for record of the year and Gilberto received nominations for best new artist and best vocal performance.

Over the next few years, Gilberto toured with Getz among others and released eight albums with songs in English and Portuguese.

After 1969, she made seven more albums before essentially retiring in 2002.

She would allege that she received no money for The Girl from Ipanema and that Taylor and Getz took undue credit for “discovering” her.

She also had some notable moments as a recording artist, whether backed by trumpeter Chet Baker on Fly Me to the Moon or crooning with George Michael on the bossa nova standard Desafinado. In 2008, she received a Latin Grammy for lifetime achievement.

She dedicated her latter years to animal rights activism and a career in the visual arts.