MUSIC AND ITS HISTORY

GAL COSTA

Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos was born in Salvador, Bahia, on September 26th, 1945. Her childhood was marked by the music that covered the city’s atmosphere. Maria da Graça, Gracinha or simply Gau - as she was called - had eyes and ears focused on the musicians and melodies present everywhere in the city.

Her father, who was a music big supporter, gave her a guitar as a gift. In 1960, the fifteen year-old girl already played and sang around her friends to liven up their parties. That year was one of the first of Bossa Nova in Brazil… João Gilberto had become an idol due to the success of Chega de Saudade... Carlos Lyra had recorded his first long play, which introduced the term Música Popular Brasileira (or Brazilian Popular Music). Meanwhile, the teenager Gal devoted herself to learning all those notes and accords.

In 1963, Gal meets Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Tom Zé, great names of Brazilian music. Sharing the same ideals and the passion for music, the group then produced a musical called Nós Por Exemplo. Their concert opened the Vila Velha Theater, in 1964. Gal Costa sang Sol Negro in a duet with Maria Bethânia. The song became the first success in her extensive discography.

Nós por Exemplo was so successful that soon after the group launched a new musical - Nova Bossa Velha, Velha Bossa Nova - which also had great impact on the audience. It was when Gal’s musical career really took off. She became one of Brazilian music greatest names and her talent is recognized internationally. Her remarkable features are her voice, sensuality and incomparable performance.