Gilberto is from a famous musical family in Brazil. Her father is João Gilberto
, her mother is the singer Miúcha
, and her uncle (Miúcha
's brother) is Chico Buarque de Hollanda
. She learned how to sing with Miúcha
,and since she was a child, she was already participating inprofessional musicals like Saltimbancos and Pirlimpimpim. At seven shehad her recording debut on one of her mother's albums. At nine sheperformed together with her mother and Stan Getz
at Carnegie Hall. In 1983, she shared an album with the singer Pedrinho Rodrigues
(Um Certo Geraldo Pereira
, Funarte). Nevertheless, she wisely managed her career, avoiding a hasty debut as a solo singer. Her first album was the EP Bebel Gilberto
(Warner, 1986). Gilberto wrote the songs on the album together with Brazilian pop/rock artists like Cazuza
("Preciso Dizer Que Te Amo," which was also included in the Red Hot + Rio
compilation and winner of the Sharp Award for Single of the Year in 1989, "Mais Feliz," re-recorded by Adriana Calcanhotto
in the '90s also with great success), Dé
, and others.
She had noted participation in the productions that aimed at the dancemusic market with a Brazilian bossa nova scent, co-writing (with Deee-Lite
's DJ/producer Towa Tei
) the worldwide hit "Technova." She also appeared in singles by the Thievery Corporation
("Só Com Você") and the duo Arling & Cameron
(on "Sem Contenção").
By the end of the '90s, she was living in England. In 1998, Gilberto had a duet with João Gilberto
in his Carnegie Hall concert. Her first solo album, Tanto Tempo
, came finally in 2000 (Ziriguiboom) and had a good performance at the world music charts. Tanto Tempo
went on to earn two Latin Grammy Nominations for Best New Artist andBest Música Popular Brasileira Album in 2001. Its companion Tanto Tempo Remixes
was also issued that same year. Gilberto hooked up with producer Marius de Vries
for her second album shortly thereafter. The introspective self-titledeffort appeared in mid-2004, followed three years later by Momento
, which featured appearances from Brazilian Girls
and Orquestra Imperial
.
