Gal
Costa is an awarded singer with an extensive solo discography and
international experience. A fundamental presence in the Tropicalia
movement, she has been in Brazil's leading team of singers for decades.
Since very young, she has been involved with music as a singer and
violão player; when her mother's business broke she became a record shop
attendant, where he spent long hours listening to music, especially
João Gilberto. She became acquainted with Caetano Veloso in 1963, and
friendly disputed him as boyfriend with her girlfriend Dedé, who would
later be Caetano's wife. In 1964, Caetano was invited to organize a
Brazilian popular music show at the opening of Salvador's Teatro Vila
Velha. The show, called Nós, por Exemplo, brought Caetano, his sister
Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, and Costa (still under her name Maria da
Graça). The show was a success and was re-enacted two weeks later, with
the addition of Tom Zé (still presented as Antônio José). The success
was even bigger, and the group (without Tom) soon presented another
show, Nova Bossa Velha, Velha Bossa Nova.
In
September 26, 1965, the group opened the show Arena Canta Bahia, at São
Paulo's Teatro de Arena. At the end of that year, she was taken to the
presence of her idol João Gilberto, who asked her to sing while he
accompanied; after listening to her on several songs, he declared,
"Girl, you sing beautifully. Someday I will return to record an album
only with you." Also in that year, she appeared on Bethânia's first
album, singing "Sol Negro" (Caetano Veloso). In 1966, she recorded a
single for RCA (completely unperceived by the general audiences) and
interpreted "Minha Senhora" (Gilberto Gil/Torquato Neto) at TV Rio's I
FIC; she also took the name Gal Costa by suggestion of impresario
Guilherme Araújo. In 1967, Costa recorded her first LP, together with
Caetano (also his first LP), on Domingo. In 1968, she recorded two
tracks on the LP manifesto Tropicália: Ou Panis Et Circensis that became
her first hits, "Mamãe Coragem" and "Baby." Also in 1968, she achieved
great popularity at TV Record's IV FMPB (São Paulo) when she won first
place for "Divino Maravilhoso" (Gilberto Gil/Caetano Veloso).
In
the next year, she recorded her first individual LP for Philips, Gal
Costa. She then began a busy schedule of performances throughout Brazil
and that same year recorded another self-titled for Philips. In 1970,
she performed in England and, returning next year to Brazil, she
recorded the LP Legal. In 1971, she got success in the show Deixa
Sangrar, presented in several capitals, and joined João Gilberto and
Caetano in a live TV Tupi performance. In 1972, her show A Todo Vapor
was recorded live on a double album, and she performed with Gil and
Caetano at several venues. In 1973, she performed at the MIDEM in
Cannes, France, and recorded the LP Índia, after the show by the same
name. In 1976, she recorded the album Os Doces Bárbaros with Caetano,
Gil, and Bethânia, also performing a series of shows with them under the
same name, and recorded the solo album Gal Canta Caymmi. She recorded
four more albums in the '70s. In the '80s, she gained international
exposure, touring through Japan, France, Israel, Argentina, the U.S.,
Portugal, Italy, and others. In 1984, she performed in the show O
Sorriso do Gato de Alice (her 20th album), which was awarded by APCA and
received the Shell Prize. In 1997, she commemorated 30 years of her
career with the CD and video Acústico MTV (BMG), with many important
special guests. In 1998, Polygram released 30 Anos de Barato, a three-CD
box set. The double-disc Canta Tom Jobim: Ao Vivo appeared in 1999.
Costa
continued to be a viable and active artist in the 21st century, issuing
new recorded material even as repackaging of her previous work hit the
market. Gal Boss Tropical was released in 2002 by Abril, followed by
Hoje: 2005 from Trama Records three years later. 2006 saw the appearance
of Gal Costa Live at the Blue Note from DRG.
