Bossa Nova Beauty

Given her genetic aptitude for the sultry strains of Bossa Nova, you’d perhaps expect Bebel Gilberto to gush about all things Brazilian, all the time.

Or not. The offspring of iconic music legends (her father is Bossa Nova pioneer João Gilberto) are forced to forge their own path. Typically, they cringe during interviews when musical comparisons are made to their parents, but then ultimately embrace their musical heritage anyway. But Gilberto, a 43-year-old New Yorker who has been one of KCRW’s darlings for much of this decade (try counting how many times you’ve heard Nic Harcourt coo hear name at the end of a set), has inhaled her Bossa Nova roots, and exhaled something far more eclectic.

With the recent release of her fourth album, All in One (Verve Records), Gilberto moves west for a performance at the Henry Fonda Theater on Dec. 9, capping her unforgettable show with the L.A. Philharmonic in September.

There’s nothing so obvious as a cover of “Girl from Ipanema” on the new album, but Gilberto does offer a beautiful rendition of “Bim Bom,” originally sung by her father. Having lived around her dad's "intense guitar playing" as a child, how could her musical style not include shades of his legacy? “I woke up to his guitar," said Gilberto. "I went to sleep to his guitar.” Amoroso, João Gilberto’s 1977 album, "is something I can listen to for the rest of my life.”

Bebel Gilberto’s first recording was released in 1986, at age 20, but it wasn’t until she moved to London in the early 90s that she delved into the pop and urban music that helped to shape her unique sound. Her international debut, Tanto Tempo (2000) was met with critical acclaim and global success, sparking a mini-resurgence of American interest in Brazilian music.

For Gilberto, All in One is more of a “personal endeavor.” The album is sung mostly (and exquisitely) in Portuguese, and is primarily about being in love with her new husband, Didie Cunha, who also nabs credits on the record for sound engineering and executive producing. Gilberto’s sound is elegant and universal, blending graceful, low-key electronica beats with enchanting melodies drawn from the sonic heritage of her native Brazil. Along with the use of trademark instruments from her previous albums—acoustic guitars, strings, traditional Afro-Brazilian drums, bass and piano—Gilberto is proud to say that many of the sounds used are truly endemic, recorded straight from Belem do Para on the banks of the Amazon River in northern Brazil.

The album is “more fresh, more happy,” she explains. “There are happier tunes, great producers, and I had a lot of great friends and a lot of great people around.” Indeed: Gilberto collaborated with an all-star group of producers, including Mark Ronson, known for his work with Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. Gilberto also performs a duet with Daniel Jobim— grandson of Bossa Nova king Antonio Carlos Jobim—on “Bim Bom.” 

On working with her husband: “It’s the best. I feel so complete,” Gilberto says. The couple met in 2005, but didn’t begin dating until two years ago. They married in secret at New York City Hall, but have currently sidelined the reception, to be held in New York or Tulum, Mexico—once they find the time.

Tickets for Bebel Gilberto at the Henry Fonda Theater on December 9 are available via Ticketmaster here.