DCist Preview: Bebel Gilberto @ 9:30 Club
During a recent interview, we asked vocalist Bebel Gilberto what she wanted her audience to come away with after a performance.
With characteristic flair, she responded, "Love and passion, of course."
Those romantic sentiments prevail throughout Gilberto's new recording, All in One, which she will be supporting in concert tonight at the 9:30 Club. Her first release on the Verve label, the album was recorded in Jamaica, Brazil, and New York, with her new husband at the sound board. The songs continue the pop-infused Brazilian stylings for which Gilberto is known, but she also delves into Caribbean rhythms, dance tracks, and covers of Bob Marley and Stevie Wonder.
"I had some new songs I was singing on this new phase of my life," Gilberto said. "The whole creative process can be painful. This time, it was all sunny."
Gilberto's music is rooted in bossa nova, a form that is, quite literally, in her blood. Her father is the great João Gilberto, the man credited with creating the bossa nova beat and establishing the genre in the 1950s. Her mother, Miúcha, is also a celebrated singer in Brazil. To this foundation, Gilberto adds electric guitars, drums, and loops. For All in One, she also worked with a number of producers, including the Dust Brothers' John King, Didi Gutman of the Brazilian Girls, and Mark Ronson, who produced breakthrough recordings for Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. Daniel Jobim, grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim, who penned "The Girl from Ipanema" and numerous other bossa nova classics, collaborated on several of the more traditional sounding tracks.
"I'm stepping into a different world that I'd never stepped into before," said the Grammy nominee. "I want to accomplish everything I have not done before."
Gilberto is featured regularly with Thievery Corporation, so we couldn't help but ask whether their might be some surprise guests at tonight's show. While there were no definite plans at the time of the interview, Gilberto did acknowledge that she would welcome the opportunity to have musicians from Thievery sit in with her band. Regardless, she noted that she was looking forward to returning to where she had one of her most memorable performances.
"I was on a triple bill with Manu Chao and Thievery. That was really special," recalled Gilberto. "With my whole history with Rob [Garza] and Eric [Hilton], I saw the beginning of Eighteenth Street Lounge, I couldn't be more happy to play in D.C."
Bebel Gilberto performs tonight at the 9:30 Club, located at 815 V Street, NW. 6 p.m. doors. $35
Filed in Arts and Events and tagged 9:30 Club, Bebel Gilberto, music, preview
