Bossa nova bloodline

>> >> The patrilineal perfectionism of Bebel Gilberto

by ADAM GOLLNER

Late at night, on rainy cobblestone streets of broken hearts, in forgotten rotisseries or at the peanut vendor's stand, perhaps on long-distance bus rides with gypsies and proletarians, one tends to overhear anecdotal yarns, the merits of which are not always instantaneously evident. It is the task of the "entertainment journalist" (a profession second only to telemarketing in terms of depravity and malfeasance) to emancipate these spellbinding half-truths by awarding them a home in the annals of printed matter.

One such apocryphal shaggy dog story involves Joào Gilberto, the Brazilian guitarist who, in the late '50s, slowed the samba down so much that jet-set Sybarites felt compelled to trumpet this rhythmic nouvelle-vague as the dawn of bossa nova. Indeed, Antonio Carlos Jobim, the Beethoven of Brazilian bossa, places the invention of the genre squarely at Gilberto's dream-weaving fingertips.

It wasn't all quiet nights of quiet stars at ol' Corcovado though. Hushed rumours abound regarding Gilberto's behaviour as a dashing young aesthete who strove for perfection to the point of folly. Brazilian musicians (as well as sycophantic slags in the media) never tire of repeating the semi-believable tale about the time Gilberto locked himself in a hotel room for two months with nothing but his pet cat, a sack of marijuana and a nylon six-string.

Completely blocking out any contact with civilization (food was left outside his door), with the windows closed and the blinds drawn, he set about playing one single song over and over again ceaselessly until it had been absolutely mastered. At the end of the 60 days, having finally nailed that pesky lick, Gilberto flung open the window and the cat, bored to lunacy from being cooped up in the darkness listening to a stoned broken record for months, immediately jumped out the window, plunging to its death below.

The legacy lives on

Although this could very well be a load of applesauce, Joào's daughter Bebel isn't exactly forthright in denying its validity. "I'm not really comfortable to talk about my father. That's something I'm trying to avoid, but because you ask me I will tell you. My father had an impact on me because I used to sit around as a child and hear him playing all day long. I always say that he is my first influence."

The musical influence Joào exerted on his daughter is clearly evident on Bebel's new debut release Tanto Tempo. However, other elements of his illustrious temperament have also trickled down through the genetic filter. "I am totally a perfectionist. This is also because of my father's influence [at this point, Bebel starts screaming at her driver]. As you can see, I nearly just killed a cab driver because he didn't make a right where he was supposed to. When you make music, you need to search for perfection as much as possible. Otherwise you're not gonna highlight yourself in the music scene. It's like any kind of art. People think artists don't work. They do; artists work to achieve perfection in their art. That is one of the most important things I believe in."

Bebel's strong lineage of musicians and artists extends beyond her father. She is a relative of Chico Buarque. Her mother Miucha (not to be confused with Astrud Gilberto, Joào's first wife and the voice of "The Girl From Ipanema") is a great singer herself. "People got a little mad when they discovered that my mom wasn't Astrud, which makes me even more pissed off because my mom was a great singer also. Of course I love Astrud, and Astrud is great, but my mom is my mom, you know?"

Alongside these venerable icons of Brazilian popular music, Bebel (short for Isabelle) has worked with a vast amount of international talent over the years. "Thievery Corporation are an updated 21st century vibe. Amon Tobin is a genius and it is a pleasure to have him on my album. David Byrne is a funny guy. Towa Tei is another funny guy, but it was necessary to work with him. Suba was everything, he was on top of even Amon Tobin. He was one of a kind and he was just a total genius. I'm sorry he isn't here any more. Kenny G... I recorded with him for the money."

Tanto Tempo's dreamy take on bossa nova features a number of the aforementioned acts as guests, but while the rhythms are steeped in Carioca history, it isn't some revisionist manifesto nor is it a retro wink-fest. "It would be pretentious for me to say that I am doing new bossa nova or something like that. I don't do bossa nova--I do Brazilian music." And what can we expect from her outdoor show at the Jazz Festival this year? "Music from the heart. That's what I do." :

At the Air Transat stage of the Jazz Fest on Sunday, July 9, 10pm, free