World Renowned Brazilian Singer-Songwriter Bebel Gilberto Delivers Musical Love Letter to Her Father On Upcoming August Album 'João'
[PIAS] Recordings is thrilled to announce today they will release a stunning new studio album from the iconic ground-breaking Brazilian artist Bebel Gilberto entitled João, on August 25. The 11-track album is a deeply personal collection of songs made famous by her father João Gilberto, the Brazilian music legend widely regarded as the “father of Bossa Nova” who passed away in 2019 after an illustrious 70-year career. Bebel began singing with João as a small child and the songs she sings on this new album have been with her all her life.
“João” is a love letter to my father. Since my first album I’ve never really covered any of my Dad’s music,” says Gilberto of recording her new album. “Now it’s time to present to the public the songs from João Gilberto that have influenced me since I was born- and even before.”
João is an essential album for fans of one of the great musical families in Brazilian music. Produced by Thomas Bartlett and mixed by Patrick Dillett, the album features Gilberto’s trademark lush and hypnotic vocals with guitar arrangements by Guilherme Monteiro. The song selection includes unexpected choices, from the Waltz Bebel (Como São Lindos os Yogues), one of the rare compositions written by João Gilberto that was created for his daughter, to classics such as Ela é Carioca and Desafinado.
The first single “É Preciso Perdoar,” out now, is a lush reworking of the song first made famous by João Gilberto and Stan Getz on Gilberto’s self-titled 1973 album. “É Preciso Perdoar is one of my favorite songs ever, and when I decided to cover it, I was initially heartbroken,” said Bebel Gilberto. “While recording my version, I kept trying to understand how important it is to forgive a person, instead of leaving those feelings behind and never resolving them, especially when you still love that person and want to honor what you built together. This song talks about all of this and ultimately inspired me so much that I chose it to be my first single from this very special record.”
World-renowned and multi-Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Bebel Gilberto has been enchanting fans and critics worldwide since her solo debut release in 1986. She catapulted onto the global music scene with a track on the celebrated compilation CD, RED HOT + RIO, followed by the worldwide success of her hit breakout album Tanto Tempo in 2000. The album featured her trademark electronic bossa nova, taking over clubs around the world and positioning Bebel as one of the top-selling Brazilian artists since the ’60s. Critically-acclaimed albums to follow included Bebel Gilberto (2004), on which she refined her sound to create an acoustic lounge style that showcased her strengths as a Brazilian composer, and Momento (Six Degrees 2007), which masterfully showcased her skills at fusing all her musical styles.
Bebel’s 2009 Grammy-nominated album All in One (Verve), brought to forefront more of Bebel’s personality and love for organic rhythms. In 2014, Bebel Gilberto released a beautiful concert DVD called Bebel Gilberto in Rio in Brazil, featuring a superb live concert on the beaches of Rio. Returning to her trademark sultry Brazilian rhythms infused with electronic beats, Bebel followed up with the album Tudo, released in August 2014 on Sony to great media acclaim. Gilberto’s most recent studio album, the acclaimed 2020 studio album Agora was her first for [PIAS] Recordings and earned Gilberto a 2021 Grammy nomination-her career fifth-for Best Global Music album.
Bebel Gilberto and Guilherme Monteiro will also embark on an intimate acoustic 15-city North American summer tour August 10-September 19, with stops in New York City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Quebec and more, followed by live appearances in Sweden and a performance at London’s KOKO on 22 October-additional dates in Europe and Asia to be announced soon.
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