Bebel Gilberto

Bebel is the daughter of Brazilian music "royalty," and debuted as a young girl alongside her father and stepmother Astrud in Carnegie Hall at age nine. The daughter of bossa nova icon João Gilberto and singer Miúcha (who is the sister of Brazilian star Chico Buarque), Bebel launched her solo career in the late 1980s with a glorious head start, and became a leading figure in Brazilian popular music. She was born in New York, and would return there after stints in Europe and Rio de Janeiro, eventually leading to a diverse music career.

Bebel began singing as a young girl under the guidance of her mother Miúcha, one of Brazil's renowned vocalists, and also appeared in several children's television shows in Rio de Janeiro. Upon her return to New York in 1991, she began collaborations with such innovative, genre-bending artists as David Byrne and Thievery Corporation. Bebel's debut self-titled solo EP in 1986 paved the way for her unique approach to contemporary Brazilian music, fusing the traditional bossa nova sound with modern electronica and dance beats. Her solo LP Tanto Tempo. produced by the late electronica visionary Suba, was named as one of Entertainment Weekly magazine's best for 2000, and became the watchword for breezy Brazilian cool that summer, pumping out of every lounge, club and hotspot from Rio to the Rive Gauche. Several songs from this album have even been featured on television soundtrack albums, including Six Feet Under and Nip/Tuck.

She also co-authored a track for Towa-Tei entitled "Technova," which became a club smash hit. Her smooth style has been often compared to her father João, but her musical creativity has lead to more modern explorations within the pop and electronic music genres, including the production and arrangements of her 2004 GRAMMY-nominated release Bebel Gilberto, and the subsequent Bebel Gilberto: Remixed, engineered by former Madonna and Björk producer Marcus de Vries. She maintains an active performing and recording career, and has been lauded as a singer of bossa nova for the 21st century. -- Rebeca Mauleon