Gal Costa

Gal Costa (born Maria da Graça Costa Pena Burgos September 26, 1945) in Salvador, Brazil, is one of Brazil's most popular female singers.

Influenced by music from a young age by her record store owner father, Costa became one of Brazil's foremost female Tropicalismo movement singers and violão players during the late 1960s and 70s. Along with her sister Maria Bethânia, she became a political activist often coming into conflict with Brazil's government when dissent in music was censored. Fellow musician Caetano Veloso introduced her to Gilberto Gil and Tom Zé in 1963, who managed to secure her a recording deal in São Paulo and record to her debut album Gal. In 1973, the cover of Costa's album India was censored due to her wearing a risque red bikini. Costa has recorded songs composed by a number of Brazil's most popular songwriters such as Tom Jobim, Jorge Ben Jor, and Erasmos Carlos. In 1982 the single "Festa Do Interior" from the double album Fantasia became her biggest ever hit, going multi-platinum by the end of the year. Costa appeared in the 1995 film The Mandarin (Madarim, O) as the singer Carmen Miranda. She has recorded songs in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

Discography

• Gal (1963)
• Domingo (1967)
• Gal Costa (1969)
• Legal (1970)
• A Todo Vapor (1971)
• Gal a Todo Vapor (1971) (live)
• India (1973)
• Gal Canta Caymmi (1975)
• Caras E Bocas (1977)
• Agua Viva (1978)
• Gal Tropical (1979)
• Fantasia (1981)
• Baby Gal (1983)
• Plural (1983)
• Aquarela Do Brasil (1984)
• Lua de Mel Como O Diabo Gosta (1984)
• Profana (1984)
• Gal Costa (1986)
• Trilha Sonora Do Filme Gabriela (1991)
• O Sorriso De Gato De Alice (1994)
• Mina D'Agua Do Meu Canto (1995)
• Gal Costa (1996)
• Bem Bom (1997)
• Gal Costa (1997)
• Seria Aplauso (1997)
• Tso Do Filme Gabriela (1997)
• Acústico (1997)
• Pegando Fogo (1998)
• Aquele Frevo Axe (1999)
• Canta Tom Jobim: Ao Vivo (199)
• Gal Canta Tom Jobim (1999)
• Minha Voz, Minha Vida (2001)
• Gal Bossa Tropical (2002)
• Gal Revisitada: De Domingo 1967 A Minha Voz 1982 (2003) (compilation)
• Todas Coisad E Eu (2004)
• Canta Caetano (2004)

Filmography

• The Mandarin (1995)

External links

• Gal Costa at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Gal Costa website (in Portuguese)
• Gal Costa on Yahoo!
• Allmusic.com Gal Costa
• VH1.com Gal Costa