Bebel Gilberto
Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira (born May 12, 1966), known as Bebel Gilberto, is a Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer and composer Chico Buarque.
Also recorded as Ιζαμπέλ Ζιλμπέρτο ντε Ολιβέιρα · Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira
Bebel Gilberto

Gergely Csatari · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Born
- 1966. · New York City.
- Nationality
- United States and Brazil.
- Occupation
- singer, composer, actress and musician.
- Fields
- bossa nova and jazz.
- Languages
- Brazilian Portuguese and English.
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Documentary summary
Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira (born May 12, 1966), known as Bebel Gilberto, is a Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer and composer Chico Buarque.
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Note VALÉORINE
Bebel Gilberto (born 1966) is a Brazilian and American actress, composer and musician, among other activities. The actress was born in New York City. Bebel Gilberto worked in Rio de Janeiro.
Genres include bossa nova and jazz. Languages used include Brazilian Portuguese and English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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wikidata · Q258140 · wikipedia · Bebel Gilberto
In this article
Early life
Early life
Gilberto was born in New York City to Brazilian parents, bossa nova pioneer João Gilberto 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. 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, David Byrne, and Stan Getz, 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 with her mother and Stan Getz.
Beginnings: 1986–1999
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 and Dé Palmeira, when both were in the Barão Vermelho 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, Maxwell, George Michael, and others for the benefit CD recording. She also collaborated on Towa Tei's CD Future Listening!, singing on the hits "Technova" and "Batucada," and also participated in Peeping Tom with Mike Patton (lead singer of Faith No More), singing "Caipirinha".
Tanto Tempo, Bebel Gilberto, and Momento: 2000–2007
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 with the melting pot of New York's Brazilian Girls, 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
All in One: 2009–present
Gilberto recorded her fourth studio album, All in One, in New York, Jamaica, and the Brazilian state of Bahia. 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 (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen), John King (Dust Brothers, Beck), Daniel Jobim, Carlinhos Brown, Didi Gutman (Brazilian Girls) and Mario Caldato Jr (Beastie Boys, Björk, Jack Johnson). Gilberto also provided the voice of the bird Eva in the animated film Rio (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, The Bubble, Closer and most recently 2010s Eat Pray Love and 2011's Rio; and seven TV series including Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, and Nip/Tuck. In 2011, she contributed a cover of "Acabou Chorare" to the Red Hot Organization'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.
Studio albums
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 Tudo (2014) Sony Agora (2020) João (2023)
Remix albums
Remix albums
Tanto Tempo Remixes (2001) Ziriguiboom Tanto Tempo (Special Remix Edition) (2003) EastWest Records Bebel Gilberto Remixed (2005) Ziriguiboom
EPs
EPs
Bebel Gilberto (EP) (1986) Warner Jazz Bring Back The Love — Remixes EP 1 (2007) [digital-only] Bring Back The Love — Remixes EP 2 (2007) [digital-only] Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) – EP (2008) [digital-only]
Filmography
Filmography
Pirlimpimpim (1982 TV movie)- Narizinho Malandro (1986)- Bebel The Color of Destiny (1987) Elis Regina Tribute Live at Town hall (1998 video short)- Singer, Performer Rio (2011) – Eva (voice) Kings & Rats (2012)- Banda Rio 2 (2014) – Eva (voice) Rio, I Love You (2014) - Cupido (segment "Acho que Estou Apaixonado")

Bebel Gilberto in Flow Festival in Helsinki, Finland
Leena Tarjamo

Bebel Gilberto during a concert in Oslo, August 2007
Martin Stabenfeldt · originally posted to Flickr as Bebel Gilberto
Primary material
Documents and archives
institutional register
- MusicBrainz artist record for Bebel Gilberto
Unverified · MusicBrainz
reference work
- “Bebel Gilberto”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q258140: Bebel Gilberto
Unverified · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Bebel Gilberto.
- 2.Neder, Alvaro. Bebel Gilberto – Biography. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation.
- 3.Heckman, Don. The Beat Goes On : Bebel Gilberto, daughter of bossa nova great Joao Gilberto, has her own musical approach. Los Angeles Times. July 31, 1992.
- 4.O'Donnell, Kevin. Bebel Gilberto on Finally Embracing Bossa Nova. Vulture. December 1, 2009.
- 5.Zwerin, Mike. How Bebel Gilberto Left Brazil, and Hit Her Stride : Working Her Way Home. The New York Times. April 19, 2000.
- 6.Onda 21 – 12 de maio na música.
- 7.Xavier, Nilson. Laços de Família. Teledramaturgia.
- 8.Cohen, Aaron. Bebel Gilberto doesn't let her family legacy be a road map. Chicago Tribune. Tribune Company. September 13, 2012.
- 9.Emerick, Laura. Bebel Gilberto embraces new attitude on life, music. Chicago Sun-Times. John Barron. September 12, 2012.
- 10.La lista completa de nominados a los Latin Grammy 2015. Infobae. September 23, 2015.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
institutional register
MusicBrainz artist record for Bebel GilbertoMusicBrainz
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolvedauthority record
Unverified
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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