Gilberto’s father, João, is considered one of the founding fathers of bossa nova. But she says her music didn’t truly take shape until she left her home country. “I don’t know if I could achieve the style I wanted if I wasn’t living in the U.S.,” says Gilberto, who now considers New York her home. “When I moved away, I found my own style; my own way of playing Brazilian music.”
Gilberto’s ability to create songs that are perfect for dancing, chilling out or sipping a latte means her music tends to pop up everywhere. Even if you didn’t know it was her, odds are you’ve heard Gilberto at a restaurant, spa or lounge. “I heard one of my songs in a mall recently and thought ‘This sounds so much like me. Wow, it is me,’” she laughs. “It was such an unexpected thing. I used to go to that mall as a girl and now my song is playing there.”
Gilberto says her music becoming so pervasive surprised her, mainly because she sings in both English and Portuguese. “Sometimes I can’t believe people can love my music and not understand what I’m saying,” she says with a chuckle. “But then I think back to when I was young and couldn’t speak English. I’d try to sing along to Donna Summer and I couldn’t get a word right.”
No matter what language listeners speak, Gilberto wants to give them something everyone can understand. “I just hope my music is inspiring and makes people feel sexy.”
