Rio de Janeiro (AFP)

As a last glance at his sad end of life, Joao Gilberto, one of the fathers of the bossa nova who lived reclusive for years, often in pajamas, went out to dinner in town a few days before his death.

If his soft voice whispering "The Ipanema Girl" continues to rock hearts almost 60 years after its recording, the last years of this legend of music have been far less harmonious than his melodies.

Before passing away Saturday at age 88, Joao Gilberto, whose perfectionism turned neurotic obsession, the eccentric side and social phobia were legendary, appeared Tuesday night in a restaurant in the district of Leme, at one end from Copacabana beach.

Thick glasses, dark and very thin suit, he posed alongside his last companion, Maria do Céu Harris, and his lawyer, Gustavo Carvalho Miranda, whose photos were published by the website of the daily Globo.

In recent years, Joao Gilberto was caught in a conflict between two of his children, his son Joao Marcelo and his daughter Bebel Gilberto - also musicians - and his last wife from whom he was separated, Claudia Faissol, a journalist 40 years younger than he and mother of his teenage daughter.

Bebel and Joao Marcelo accuse Claudia Faissol of abusing their father's weakness and causing his ruin, but the legendary singer's troubles were not just financial problems.

"In his obsession to control everything, Joao Gilberto had the ambition to make the world stop turning to practice his art.He managed to face the microphone, but off the stage, it's all contrary, "explained Ruy Casto, author of a book on bossa nova, in the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.

"He never had any control over his life, he got used to delegating everything (...) But life writes his own verses, and with his false notes," he added.

- Eccentric genius -

From the height of his genius, the performer of planetary successes like "Desafinado", "Corcovado" or "Chega de Saudade", has never been easy to live.

"His importance to music is incalculable, he was the main voice of the best-known Brazilian music movement in the world and was revolutionary almost without having wanted it," explained in May 2018 to AFP Bernardo Araujo, music critic from the O Globo newspaper.

"He was the first singer, at least in Brazil, to show that we did not need a powerful voice, he whispered, accompanying himself with virtuosity on the guitar," he said.

But like many geniuses, he had his demons.

"He's like Michael Jackson or Prince, a brilliant and strange artist, but his strangeness has finally taken over, to arrive at the terrible situation of today," lamented the critic.

At the end of 2017, his daughter Bebel had been placed under guardianship, when he was no longer able to take care of his health and finances because of his physical and mental fragility.

"I would like my father to have a happy and peaceful end of life," said Joao Marcelo, the son he had with his first wife, singer Astrud Gilberto, at Veja magazine.

Bebel, she was born from her union in second marriage with the singer Miucha, sister of the famous musician, singer and writer Chico Buarque.

Gilberto had been forced to leave the flat he occupied in the upmarket district of Leblon for a time because he had not paid rent for months. After a few months in different homes, he ended up returning to this apartment in Leblon in recent months, according to Brazilian media.

The beginning of Gilberto's decline dates back to the beginning of the decade. His wife Claudia convinced him to tour for his 80th birthday, which he had to cancel - and pay back - due to health problems.

Taken in litigation with his first record company, no new album since 1989 or appearance on stage since 2008, in 2013 he had to sell 60% of the rights of his first four albums.

Many Brazilians saw him for the last time on a video in 2015, where he appeared, very thin and in pajamas, singing "The daughter of Ipanema" to his youngest daughter while accompanying himself on the guitar.

? 2019 AFP