Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira (born May 12, 1966), known as Bebel Gilberto, is an American-born Brazilian popular singer often associated with

bossa nova Bossa nova () is a style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a "different beat" that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovat ...

. She is the daughter of

João Gilberto João Gilberto (born João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira – ; 10 June 1931 – 6 July 2019) was a Brazilian guitarist, singer and composer who was a pioneer of the musical genre of bossa nova in the late 1950s. Around the world, he was of ...

and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer

Chico Buarque Francisco Buarque de Hollanda (born 19 June 1944), popularly known simply as Chico Buarque, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, playwright, writer, and poet. He is best known for his music, which often includes social, economic, ...

Early life

Gilberto was born in New York City to Brazilian parents,

pioneer

and singer Miúcha, who were briefly living in the city at the time of her birth. She often traveled with her father when he recorded albums in different countries; she lived in Mexico at age three and moved to Rio de Janeiro at age five. Gilberto's parents separated when she was seven, and she spent her time between Rio de Janeiro with her mother and New York with her father. Gilberto has been performing since her youth in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, Brazil. Gilberto recalls that her childhood was "music nonstop"; when reflecting on her father's influence, Gilberto states, "He taught me to be a perfectionist. But my mother taught me how to lose it. And you can hear it in my music today, I think." She grew acquainted with popular artists such as

Caetano Veloso Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (; born 7 August 1942) is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo, which encomp ...

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, and

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre ...

, who often visited her father's home to collaborate. She began singing with her mother at a young age and participated in professional musicals such as ''Saltimbancos'' and ''Pirlimpimpim''. At the age of seven, she made her recording debut on her mother's first solo album, ''Miúcha & Antônio Carlos Jobim'' (1977). Two years later, she performed at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th and 57th Streets. Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built ...

with her mother and Stan Getz.

Career

Beginnings: 1986–1999

Gilberto's professional solo debut came in 1986 with a self-titled EP released by WEA which included "Preciso dizer que te amo", a partnership with

Cazuza Agenor de Miranda Araújo Neto, better known as Cazuza (; April 4, 1958 – July 7, 1990), was a Brazilian singer and songwriter, born in Rio de Janeiro. Along with Raul Seixas, Renato Russo and Os Mutantes, Cazuza, both while fronting Barão Ver ...

and Dé Palmeira, when both were in the

Barão Vermelho Barão Vermelho () is a Brazilian rock band. Formed in 1981 in Rio de Janeiro, it was originally led by songwriting duo Cazuza (singer) and Roberto Frejat (guitarist), who assumed the vocals after Cazuza's departure in 1985. Frejat left the ba ...

band. In 1991, Gilberto moved to Manhattan, where she continues to live, but shares her time between the U.S. and Brazil. Gilberto was a great friend of Cazuza and composed several songs with him in addition to "Eu preciso dizer que te amo", including "Amigos de Bar", "Mais Feliz", and "Mulher sem Razão". Gilberto next participated in the project Red Hot + Rio, joining major music stars such as Everything but the Girl,

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George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling music ...

, and others for the benefit CD recording. She also collaborated on Towa Tei's CD ''

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'', singing on the hits "Technova" and "Batucada," and also participated in

Peeping Tom Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly reme ...

with Mike Patton (lead singer of Faith No More), singing "Caipirinha".

''Tanto Tempo'', ''Bebel Gilberto'', and ''Momento'': 2000–2007

'' Tanto Tempo'', an electronic bossa nova album released in 2000, was popular at clubs around the world and positioned Gilberto as one of the best-selling Brazilian artists in the U.S. since the 1960s. With her second album, '' Bebel Gilberto'' (2004), she refined her sound to create an acoustic lounge style that showcased her strengths as a Brazilian composer. With '' Momento'' (2007), her third album in seven years, she wanted to do a fusion of both. Mixing the taste of Rio's

Orquestra Imperial Orquestra Imperial is a Brazilian Big Band formed in 2002 with the objective of recreating the typical Gafieira Samba sound. The group brought together notable names from the new Carioca pop scene such as Rodrigo Amarante (from the group Los Herm ...

with the melting pot of New York's

Brazilian Girls Brazilian Girls is a band from New York, United States, known for their eclectic blend of electronic dance music with musical styles as diverse as tango, chanson, house, reggae and lounge (but no Brazilian rhythms at all). None of the member ...

, and following the direction of the English producer Guy Sigsworth (Madonna's partner in "What It Feels Like for a Girl"), ''Momento'' reaffirmed the international character of Gilberto's music. In 2007, she was a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

''All in One'': 2009–present

Gilberto recorded her fourth studio album, '' All in One'', in New York,

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispa ...

, and the Brazilian state of

Bahia Bahia ( , , ; meaning "bay") is one of the 26 states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro) and the 5th-larges ...

. It was released worldwide on September 29, 2009, on the American jazz label Verve, and was released in Brazil by Universal Music. It is the least electronic-infused of her albums, and brings to the forefront more of Gilberto's personality and love for organic styles. ''All in One'' had a team of accomplished producers including

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, R ...

(

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...

, Lily Allen), John King (Dust Brothers, Beck), Daniel Jobim,

Carlinhos Brown Antônio Carlos Santos de Freitas, known professionally as Carlinhos Brown (Brazilian Portuguese: /kaʁˈlĩɲus bɾaw̃, -iɲuʃ/, 23 November 1962), is a Brazilian singer, percussionist, and record producer from Salvador, Bahia. His musical ...

Didi Gutman Didi may refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Didi" (song), a song by Khaled * Didi, the principal character in '' Didi's Comedy Show'', a German comedy television show * Didi Pickles, mother of Tommy and Dil in the cartoons ''Rugrats'' and ''Al ...

(Brazilian Girls) and

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(

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, Björk, Jack Johnson). Gilberto also provided the voice of the bird Eva in the animated film ''

Rio Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

'' (2011), an experience she called "amazing". Since the launch of ''Tanto Tempo'' in 2000, she has sold over 2.5 million records and has been featured on seven film soundtracks including ''

Next Stop Wonderland ''Next Stop Wonderland'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Brad Anderson, written by Anderson and Lyn Vaus, and starring Hope Davis and Alan Gelfant. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 1998, where it was n ...

'', '' The Bubble'', '' Closer'' and most recently 2010s '' Eat Pray Love'' and 2011's ''

''; and seven TV series including ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United Stat ...

'', '' Six Feet Under'', and ''

Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...

''. In 2011, she contributed a track entitled "Acabou Chorare" to the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

's most recent charitable album, ''Red Hot+Rio 2''. The album is a follow-up to the 1996 ''Red Hot+Rio''. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. In 2015, her song "Tudo" was nominated for the 16th Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Brazilian Song category.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Um Certo Geraldo Pereira, Funarte'' (with Pedrinho Rodrigues) (1983, Atração) * ''De Tarde, Vendo O Mar'' (with Luizão Maia & Banzai) (1991) * '' Tanto Tempo'' (2000) Ziriguiboom * '' Bebel Gilberto'' (2004) Ziriguiboom * '' Momento'' (2007) Ziriguiboom * '' All in One'' (2009)

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simon ...

* '' Tudo '' (2014)

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

* Agora (2020)

Remix albums

* ''Tanto Tempo Remixes'' (2001) Ziriguiboom * ''Tanto Tempo (Special Remix Edition'') (2003)

EastWest Records East West Records (stylized as east''west'') is a record label formed in 1955, distributed and owned by Warner Music Group, headquartered in London, England. History Upon its creation in 1955 by Atlantic Records, the label had one hit with th ...

* ''Bebel Gilberto Remixed'' (2005) Ziriguiboom

EPs

* ''Bebel Gilberto (EP)'' (1986) Warner Jazz * ''Bring Back The Love — Remixes EP 1'' (2007) igital-only* ''Bring Back The Love — Remixes EP 2'' (2007) igital-only* ''Live Session (

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...

Exclusive) – EP'' (2008) igital-only

Filmography

* '' Pirlimpimpim'' (1982 TV movie)- Narizinho *''

Malandro Malandragem () is a Portuguese term for a lifestyle of idleness, fast living and petty crime – traditionally celebrated in samba lyrics, especially those of Noel Rosa and Bezerra da Silva. The exponent of this lifestyle, the ''malandro'' (m ...

'' (1986)- Bebel *'' The Color of Destiny'' (1987) *'' Elis Regina Tribute Live at Town hall'' (1998 video short)- Singer, Performer * ''

'' (2011) – Eva (voice) *'' Kings & Rats'' (2012)- Banda * ''

Rio 2 ''Rio 2'' is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 computer-animated film '' Rio'' and the second installment of the ''Rio'' franchise ...

'' (2014) – Eva (voice)

References

External links

* *
Live concert in Amsterdam, 6 June 2007
– video {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilberto, Bebel 1966 births Living people Musicians from New York City American people of Brazilian descent 20th-century Brazilian women singers 20th-century Brazilian singers Bossa nova singers Música Popular Brasileira singers Verve Records artists Chill-out musicians Downtempo musicians 21st-century Brazilian women singers 21st-century Brazilian singers 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city) Women in Latin music Latin music songwriters American singers