With one of the finest voices in the history of MPB (Música Popular Brasileira), Gal went from psychodelic hippie tropicalista to pop diva.
As one of the founding artists of the Tropicália movement in the late 60s, Gal Costa became known for her fearless voice, which captivated audiences for five decades.
Capable of recording in a wide variety of genres, from samba, baiӑo and frevo to pop, jazz, bossa and blues, Gal had a string of solo hits from the 1970s onwards often recording songs by her fellow baiano Caetano Veloso. She channelled the energy of her rebel generation with the deconstructed baião Mamãe, Coragem, a farewell letter to a mother.
And then she struck a hit with the soothing Baby
From the late 1970s to the late 1990s, Gal became a household name in Brazilian music, collaborating with global superstars such as Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder. In Brazil, she experimented with synth sounds while revisiting standards such as Canta Brasil.
A feminist without needing to proclaim herself one. In her own words: “women who stand out, who empower themselves, naturally already do feminism, with no intention of being a feminist.”
Her artistry was astonishing, singular, and reshaped Brazilian music. She never needed to be rediscovered by younger audiences, because her presence rarely left the cultural conversation. From the moment she stepped into the Brazilian pantheon, sequined and feather boa’d, she was a star for life.
