Dindi

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Dindi (m. Antonio Carlos Jobim, w. Aloysio De Oliveria) — English lyrics: Ray Gilbert

Sylvia Telles — first track, side one of her 1959 tribute album Amor de Gente Moca: Musicas de Antonio Carlos Jobim

I’ve been unable to verify Wikipedia’s claims that 1.) “Dindi” was a nickname for Sylvia Telles, and 2.) the song was written for her. Numerous other sites state these claims as if they were facts, but in each case that I’ve seen the site either quotes from or appears to paraphrase relevant passages from a Wikipedia article which cites no source for the information.*

However, it does appear to be true that the tragic death of Telles in a 1966 automobile accident occurred shortly after she completed work on a second Jobim tribute album.

Tom Jobim — from the composer’s second album, The Wonderful World of Antonio Carlos Jobim, featuring arrangements by Nelson Riddle, released in 1965

Astrud Gilberto — from the Astrud Gilberto Album, recorded on 27-28 January 1965 at RCA Studios, Hollywood; Marty Paich (arr, cond)

Musicians for the sessions:
Astrud Gilberto (vo) João Gilberto (g) Joe Mondragon (b) Bud Shank (as, fl) João Donato (p) Stu Williamson (tp) Milt Bernhardt (tb) Guildhall String Ensemble, and Antonio Carlos Jobim (g, vo) on Água de Beber

Sylvia Telles — from the 1966 album The Music of Mr. Jobim, Elenco ‎(Brazil) MEV 5

Frank Sinatra and Tom Jobim (guitar), with orchestra arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman — recorded on 30 January 1967; released in March 1967 on the LP Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

Claudine Longet — from the album Love is Blue, 1968

Willie Bobo and the Bo Gents — from the 1971 album Do What You Want To Do (Sussex)

Flora Purim — from her 1973 LP Butterfly Dreams

personnel:
Flora Purim (vocals); David Amaro (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Ernie Hood (zither); Joe Henderson (flute, tenor saxophone); George Duke (piano, electric piano, Clavinet, synthesizer); Stanley Clarke (acoustic bass, electric bass); Airto Moreira (drum, percussion).

Rio Revisited: Tom Jobim and Gal Costa — one of a series of Jazzvisions concerts held in December 1986 at the Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles

Tom Jobim and Gal Costa — live performance, c. 1990, location unknown

Eliane Elias — from the 1990 album, Plays Jobim

musician credits (album):

Eliane Elias – piano, voice, arr.
Eddie Gomez – bass
Jack DeJohnette – drums
Naná Vasconcelos – percussion

Natalie Cole (singing in Portuguese) from her 1996 album Stardust

Rosa Passos — from her 1997 LP Especial Tom Jobim

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* The Wikipedia page on Sylvia Telles says, “One of the most famous classic bossa nova songs was written for her by Jobim, its namesake her nickname – “Dindi,” citing no source or sources for these two claims. However, the Wikipedia page on the Tom Jobim song “Dindi,” citing a book by his sister, says:

“Dindi” is a reference to a farm named “Dirindi”, in Brazil, a place that Jobim and his friend/collaborator Vinicius de Moraes used to visit (according to Helena Jobim, his sister, in her book “Antonio Carlos Jobim – Um Homem Iluminado”).^[1]

The claim that the song was written for Sylvia Telles is also made in the Wikipedia page on the song, “Dindi.”