Meu Nome é Gal: The Best of Gal Costa

Gal Costa

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000004788
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,653 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #9 in	Music > World Music > Latin Music > Brazil > Tropicália
  #25 in	Music > World Music > Latin Music > Samba
  #45 in	Music > World Music > Latin Music > Brazil > Bossa Nova

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
Dona Mariah's only daughter, Maria da Graça Costa Penna Burgos, was born in Salvador, Bahia and was brought up listening to music - on the radio always turned on in the house, in the record store where she worked as a teenager, at the Tenis Baiano Club - with friends, until she got in touch with the group of rising stars, such as Caetano Veloso who in the early '60s was already pioneering towards the new Brazilian Popular music. Later came the courage to come down to Rio and São Paulo. The first show in São Paulo, "Arena Canta Bahia", wasn't exactly a hit but who ever saw it, will never forget it: Gal still called herself "Gracinha", was quiet and thoughtful, listening most of the time and being only listened when she sang Bossa Nova standards. When everything became psychedelic and marvellous with Gilberto Gil's, Tom Ze's, Torquato Neto's antropophagic Tropicalismo, Maria de Graça turned into Gal (from the nickname "Gau", given by a younger cousin), Brazil was going through a dictatorship totally against new ideologies and concepts, and while Gil and Caetano chose to become political exiles in London, Gal took part in politically radical concerts, thighs and hair swaying to the sound of Jorge Benjor, Adoniram Barbosa, Luis Melodia, Roberto and Erasmo Carlos. Even then Gal already had the ability to turn any song immersed in prejudice, such as the wishy-washy romantic songs on the hit parades and the almost forgotten sambas by old composers, into dark jewels of unbelievable value for the cultural Brazilian soul. She started using words more and more, preferably to sing, to express herself through other composers' lyrics, she never wrote a song. The habits were changing and Gal was showing the change. She went through several periods: the belly button, and the barefoot periods, changing and trying to find the right temperature of a country made of miracles, highways, sugar cane, soccer World Cup, feathers and high-rises. Gal gave her name to the dunes of a beach in Rio. She was known to all who had long hair and colorful necklaces. She started to guide the camping groups of the first and last Brazilian hippies, natural rice and bananas - and set up a trademark, an enormous mouth with bloodred lipstick, bleeding over the Carnivals, bathed by the merry sounds of its music, the sun and an ever rising success. The campus stages and those of alternate show places suddenly became too small. It was time to cross the borders. And in the early '80s, several countries received her setting up an international bridge, with concerts in Japan, France, Israel, Argentina, USA, Portugal, Italy... "O Sorriso do Gato de Alice is the twentieth album of a career that confirming João Gilberto's omen, turned into one of the most successful in the international music world. Actually, as was previously said, Gal Costa's voice is our best exportation choice.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gal: The Most Perfect Instrument, July 23, 1998

By	S. Sittig "Divawatch" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

As Tom Jobim once said: "Gal Costa's voice is the most perfect instrument on the planet." He was not kidding.

This set of 20 amazing tracks is filled with fantastic performances from one of Brazil's leading female vocalists. (Since the death of Elis Regina, Gal Costa takes the crown.)

This CD is my favorite of all her work, and there is not a single bum track or filler song. Stand out tracks are: the alien searching "London, London", the incredibly rich "Luz Do Sol", the native "Acaí", "Meu Nome E Gal" and my favorite track "Baby."

The CD closes with Gal's inspired interpretations of 3 Brasilian "marchinhas" (little marches), a style of short samba tune meant to be easy to learn and repeat during "Carnaval." The last track is also samba-infected and a version of a famous Moraes Moreira hit.

A MUST for those interested in Brasilian pop and samba music. Gal is not as theatrical a! s Elis, not as melancholic as Bethania, but she is gifted with one of the most beautiful human voices around. Enjoy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I fell in love with Gal ..., November 8, 2001

By A Customer

... or at least with her voice, when I first bought this album in 1991. I already had a couple of her albums, and loved her music, but this is by far her best. And it's a wonderful compilation of folk, pop, and samba songs, a little of everything, extremely well blended and well aranged.

The previous reviewer quoted Tom Jobim as saying "Gal Costa's voice is the most perfect instrument on the planet." I hate to repeat, it sounds like I don't have words of my own, but that is the best way I've heard her voice described. I've felt that way for years! You have to listen to this album.

All the songs are great. My personal favorite is India, but it doesn't really show off her voice as well as some of the others - - I just happen to get lost in it. To really hear what she's capable of doing with her voice as an instrument, listen to the full track of Meu Nome é Gal (not just the clip on the site). And listen to all the clips, all the songs are worth listening to.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gal's most perfect collection of 60's,70's and early 80's, July 15, 2002

By	Antonio M Vazquezpausa "amvp" (Miami, Fl United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the most comprehensive collection of Gal's songs even though it leaves out the mid to late 80's and the 90's.Having one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard,Gal delivers as
expected in gems such as FORCA ESTRANHA and FOLHETIM,my favorites.Sambas such as CANTA BRASIL and BALANCE show the fun side that makes Gal Costa such a unique singer.Ballads such as DOM DE ILUDIR and INDIA leave you wanting for more.Overall, a winner although missing some classics.