BEBEL GILBERTO RELEASES TANTO TEMPO (25th ANNIVERSARY) REISSUE | SHARES PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACK “NO RETURN”
CRAMMED DISCS
With its inspired marriage of bossa nova and cool electronics, Bebel Gilberto’s acclaimed debut album, Tanto Tempo, has perfectly captured the mood of the times. Released by Crammed Discs in 2000 on its Ziriguiboom imprint, Tanto Tempo has become an international best seller, making it one of the most globally successful albums of Brazilian music ever.
Produced by Suba (the São Paulo-based Serbian producer who tragically passed away just before the release of the album), and featuring collaborations with Amon Tobin, Mario Caldato, Chris Franck & Nina Miranda, and Thievery Corporation.
From the original press release: The album features guest appearances by prestigious musicians such as veteran pianist/arranger João Donato, guitarists Celso Fonseca and Luis do Monte, percussionists João Parahyba and Carlinhos Brown, drummer Robertinho Silva, and a couple of horn sections who play in a genuine 70’s samba-soul-funk style.
Tanto Tempo’s modernist angle is supplied by Suba’s typical arrangements and production, as well as by contributions from young electro-Brazilophiles such as Smoke City, Thievery Corporation, Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato Jr, and Ninja Tune artist Amon Tobin. Out of the album’s eleven songs, seven are original compositions (including a new, acoustic version of Sem Contenção, Bebel’s acclaimed contribution to the Brasil2mil compilation) while the remaining four are reinterpretations of classic songs by Chico Buarque, Marcos Valle, Vinicius de Moraes/Baden Powell, and Gilberto Gil/João Donato (Bananeira, which was specially re-arranged for the occasion by the latter of its co-writers).
Enter the world of Bebel Gilberto: never has bossa nova sounded simultaneously as familiar and as new, as emotional and as dreamy. There’s little chance that you won’t fall badly under Bebel’s exquisite spell.
Bebel Gilberto’s magical voice and her soulful blend of Brazilian and electronic music took the world by surprise with the release of Tanto Tempo in 2000. Bebel was born in a family of illustrious musicians (her father is none other than bossa nova co-inventor João Gilberto, her mother is singer Miúcha, and her uncle is Chico Buarque), but she originally didn’t have any intention of following in her parents’ footsteps.
She moved to New York and started developing her own unique style by collaborating with artists as varied as David Byrne, Caetano Veloso, Towa Tei (Deee Lite), and Thievery Corporation. In 1999, when Bebel was ready to move on and record her debut album, her good friend Béco Dranoff introduced her to Crammed Discs, and she joined the label’s then-fledgling Ziriguiboom roster, which Crammed had just started developing with Béco.
Bebel joined forces with another new Ziriguiboom artist, São Paulo-based Serbian musician/producer Suba, with whom she proceeded to record the Tanto Tempo album, which went on to become one of the most globally successful albums of Brazilian music ever (as well as Crammed’s all-time bestseller).
As Bebel started touring all around the world, a full album of remixes entitled Tanto Tempo Remixes came out in 2001, including reworks by the cream of the electronic scene. Simply titled Bebel Gilberto, the second album was recorded between Rio, New York, and London with the help of producer Marius de Vries.
It came out in 2004 and further consolidated Bebel’s status, showcasing her unique silky vocal style and songwriting skills. Bebel Gilberto earned a string of awards and nominations. Once again, an interesting cast of remixers was enlisted to create an alternative, more electronic version of the album, entitled Bebel Gilberto Remixed, which came out in 2005.
Released in 2007, Momento is Bebel’s third album, and it sounds like a perfect mix between the crystalline, electronic simplicity of Tanto Tempo, and the acoustic sophistication of Bebel Gilberto. Each of Bebel Gilberto’s three albums was nominated for Grammy Awards. Her music was used in several feature films and in a great number of TV series (Sex And The City, Six Feet Under, Nip/Tuck, 24, CSI: Miami, etc).
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Background Photo Credit: Kate Powers
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BEBEL GILBERTO – JOÃO
