Tanto Tempo

I’ll again take issue with the notion that life is not worth living unless you’ve heard this album. Honestly, I could have heard it thirty times already in a dentist office and not even realized it. And that’s not necessarily an insult! As far as background lobby music goes, I thought this was really pleasant. Having a dinner party for your parents and all their friends? Now you know what to put on at a volume just loud enough to be heard but not intrude. And what a lovely name. Bebel Gilberto. I’ll be saying it in my dreams.

Weird french music

Stylish, cool, elegant, laid back bossa nova embraces modern production with electronic elements to create something beautifully dreamy and quietly glorious.

The first thing I learned about Bebel Gilberto is that she's the daughter of bossa nova pioneer, Joao Gilberto. Joao was heralded as the father of bossa nova, which would make Bebel either its sister, or the genre incarnate. Either way, it's in her blood... and 2000's "Tanto Tempo" proves it track by track.   Raised on bossa nova music her entire life (naturally), Bebel Gilberto had been releasing music for fourteen years by the time "Tanto Tempo" rolled around. It was her third full-length studio album, and saw her become one of the biggest selling Brazilian artists of the 20th century. Despite this, it's extremely difficult to find online in the UK, and I've had to resort to listening to a cover of "Alguem" because there's no trace of it. If I ever finish the rest of the 1001 list, my final regret will be never hearing the original "Alguem". If you're reading this, HELP! "Tanto Tempo" is often billed as bossa-nova meets electronica, but on first listen the electronic elements are scarcely noticeable. At best, they contribute really well to the ambience: some whooshing, whistling synths turn "Mais Feliz" into an elegant beguiling soundscape. A couple of programmed drum beats crop up here and there, but they're subtle enough to not detract from the bossa nova feel. They've just allowed critics ever since to contextualise "Tanto Tempo" vaguely within trip-hop and downtempo. Instead, "Samba de Bencao" typifies the sound of the album: bossa nova guitar rhythm, whispering saxophone and twinkling vibraphone, percussion barely kept above brushes on the snare. There are no crescendos so much as waves gently breaking on the shore. Tying it all together is Gilberto's vocal: velveteen smooth, intimate and casual. Over the course of the album, she slips between Portugese and English (singing both beautifully, but hearing the lyrics in English somehow diluted the album's beauty. Imagine if, instead of birdsong, we heard their actual calls to one another of "Ey up! I done a shit! Fancy a shag and some worms?" Not as lyrical, is it? Anyway, that's my problem, certainly not Bebel's). Once the mood is established in "Samba de Bencao", it remains much the same across the rest of the album- sedate, sultry and smooth- until we reach a couple of surprises. First, "Sem Contencao" livens things up with a light samba, retaining the same instrumentation while upping the tempo a little. I appreciated the change in tempo, but on the whole this didn't quite work for me: too breezy to be exciting, but too energetic to be blissful. Later, "Bananeira" and "Close Your Eyes" are two shocks coming at the eleventh hour: out-and-out drum beats, a full brass section, lively samba. These feel as though they shouldn't work, particularly when the soporific, skeletal "Samba e Amor" sits between them. But, while bossa nova purists may well balk at it, against the odds I found myself grooving away contentedly.  "Tanto Tempo" is not something I'm likely to revisit often (mainly because it's so bloody hard to find), but it's been a relaxing Friday afternoon listening to bossa nova incarnate. And western pop fans rejoice: "So Nice (Summer Samba)" was also covered by Baby Spice herself, Emma Bunton. Hurrah!

Is this progressive samba? whatever it is it’s fucking glorious - 10/10

Listened to this album many many times in grad school. It was a great melding of the bossa nova sound with modern production and some electronic elements. I had no problem giving it another listen and realized I had missed it.

Great music, enjoyed it while on a long drive.

Im not used to this style, but i loved it

Like me some Spanish music

Pleasant, samba-flavoured jazz-lite. I like her voice, but this is hardly the most inspired album. Is it significantly different from other samba albums from the previous four decades? Why did they choose THIS album? It doesn't really have anything to particularly recommend it, other than some occasional Portishead-like loops and synths. Soporific. Except Bananeria. I like that song, although exactly why we need another cover of this song from 1975, I don't know. Did not hate, but seems like a pointless inclusion on this list.

Suba, the producer of this smooth, cool, down tempo album died while saving the newly recorded album from a studio fire!!! I mean, I love it, it's sumptuous and sexy but I wouldn't risk my life for it.

Excellent

Love impromptu trips to Brazil. Haven’t seen Joao on here yet

Unless it is already playing on the dance floor or in my pretend cabana in Brazil, I’d never choose to listen

Bostil... Meu bostil bostileiro... 🐒🐒🐒🐒

Instant sophistication as low background music at your cocktail party.

wow. This is music that doesn't just play in the background—it creates a mood that lingers long after the final note. Whether it's early morning, afternoon or late at night, her soothing voice and subtle arrangements are a treat for my ears and emotions.

Fantastic album. I really enjoyed this. I'm thankful for this type of music The generator threw me a solid today. 5 stars all day for me.

Amazing bossa nova

Very beautiful abd the instrumentation sounds so damn crisp!!!

Great!

So ein schöner tempowechsel, ich wusste nicht, dass Joao Gilberto eine so talentierte Tochter hat.

I loved this!!! it’s not hard to sell me on bossa nova but I’ve never heard anything of that genre from as recent as 2000 so this was a nice spin on the classic sound. There was a lot of variety that reflected the genres that had developed since bossa nova’s 60s boom, like funk and contemporary smooth jazz sounds which was interesting too, although I still gravitated towards the more classic sounds. Fav tracks: Samba Da Bencao, August Day Song, Tanto Tempo, Samba E Amor, Close Your Eyes

Didn't know a thing about this album or artist, yet I would listen again.

This shit is chill man… really deep production and had me vibing all the way through

Incredibly chill and relaxing, save for the tracks at the start that were so damn energetic I could barely keep up with everything happening. Will definitely give another listen!

Deep sounds of blissful exotic romance.

I didn’t understand most of the words on this album but it didn’t matter! This was a lovely album. Perfect for a summer evening out on the porch. Super chill and relaxing music:

Very nice. Loved the mix of Latin and breakbeat, while still keeping it light and romantic.

Interesting and quite enchanting.

Relaxing and chill to listen to! That's it. Doesn't have to be more than that, to be honest.

Far exceeded my preliminary album-cover-based expectations. Fans of Stereolab should find something to like on this record.

Pleasant

i went to extraordinary lengths to pirate, upload and listen to this mediocre record, terrible all over it sounds nice, pretty, and all over nothing really happens. this can be made to happen in a glorious way, which it almost does, but does not. they should have put 'mundo civilizado' by arto lindsay on the list instead

vier bis fünf

This was a great album. 5 stars

Awesome

i actually loved this. breezy, pleasant, beautiful - continuing my surprising tradition of really liking samba on this list!

This is really smooth, and, dare I say, sexy. This takes me to a place that I didn't know that I needed to be. And honestly, I enjoy not knowing what she's saying more than when she sings in English. The instrumentation is great; there's a great mix of recorded/produced instruments and acoustic instruments. Her singing style is perfect for the tone of the album. This album doesn't really have much (or any at all) cultural impact, at least mainstream culture. Which I think challenges the purpose of this list. Is it to listen to albums that are good (and sometimes great), well-known, and made a major impact to a wide audience? Or is it to listen to albums that are the very best of their genre or sub-genre, whether or not they're known to larger audiences. This album falls in the latter group, but a lot of the albums on this list are the former. Favorite Song(s): Tanto Tempo

Loved listening to this. Floaty and feel good. Nice music.

Bossa Nova: ich liebe diese Rhythmen, die Harmonien, den Klang der Sprache, ...

Отлично

Classic Bossa-Nova cant go wrong with this. Bananeira is an exceptionally good song considering the whole album.

best album i’ve heard all year

Delightful rhythmic music to start to the day to. 9/10

Love it!

Vie, vie, vie vie.... FIVE! Maybe a little boring now, but I can't diminish the fact that this played on a continuous loop for about 3 months while in Maui and also finishing late night undergrad art projects... so good.

Wonderful. Enjoyable.

Chill, great, easy vibes

Album radio hinzugefügt

Beautiful soun bossa nova

Buenisimo

Loved this

One of my favorites so far, makes me want to go on vacation and eat at a different restaurant every night.

It's always a little exciting to get an artist I've never heard of on this list. The album cover really didn't give any clues what to expect either. I know nothing about this genre of music, so I don't know if this was revolutionary in some way. I also have no idea what most of the songs are about. I do know that it sounds absolutely gorgeous. I enjoyed kicking back on a lazy Sunday afternoon and just letting this wash over me.

pre: no idea who this is, and once again highlighting the 2000-2015ish range when I stopped trying new things Love it. I don't know if it's just Bossa Nova or what, but loved the Seu Jorge-esque guitar. Beautiful voice. Foreign language that's not too distracting. This is going into active work rotation for me (except for the last song, which is in English)

Dreamy bossa nova.

Album was relaxing and great

Smooth. The title track I repeated. I love the samba rhythm.

Outstanding. Felt like I was in an Arrested Development episode at some points, but how is that at all a bad thing? What a tremendous voice and songs overall. A complete delight!

A beautiful exponent of classic Brazilian bossa nova. Bebel’s haunting voice elevates the brilliant music of the time. Her singing in English made the style accessible globally too!

I could listen to this on a sunny lazy day :) and dance by myself and have a cute time

This is a great album. This is one of a handful on the list that I would actually say to someone else that they had to listen to before they die, and not even in a sinister way. 5/5

I think if this album came out today you would find it under a playlist called "Chill Bossa Nova Songs to Vibe to." Great for a slow day and melts your stress away, it makes me want to check out the genre more.

Right up my alley! Perfect music for doing dishes, hanging out after a long day of work, going for a walk/drive, relaxing before bed. This album does it all!

I was not expecting to like this because I read reviews saying it was like elevator music. Well if I heard this in an elevator, I would try to Shazam it right away so I could add this to my playlists!

Good!

She might be a nepo baby but she definitely has the same sauce as both of her parents. Some of the most soothing singing you’ve ever heard over some excellent chilled out and sultry bossa nova. Loved the first track and the whole album. Correction: Astrud is her stepmom but her actual mom is a singer too so I’m sure my first point is still accurate. I’m drunk so why not a 5

Her voice is so sweet, whether singing in Portuguese or English. Samba da Bencǎo is familiar as the Eat Pray Love film's serenade. But the simply beautiful August Day Song and the lively, upbeat Sem Contencao should not be overlooked on this gem of an album. It is a Bossa Nova classic that holds up 25 years post-release.

Man, Brazilians really just knew what the fuck was up back in the day. Not saying they don’t now, but either way. Bossa nova is simply one of gods greatest gifts to Earth. It fills my soul with an indescribable amount of joy. And when I saw this artist’s last name, I figured there was no way she couldn’t be related to João Gilberto. And fortunately she is. After listening to this album, it is clear that the father of Bossa nova passed down all of his genius and creativity to his daughter. Except she doesn’t just take her father’s success and make a subpar parody of it. She keeps all of the good parts of the genre, and enhances it with modernized electronic sounds. This album has a particular mysticism to it, due to the addition of a trip-hop inspired sound. And it’s executed perfectly. These two very different sounds are put together seamlessly. The only description I have for the way this album makes me feel is like happening to sit across from the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen in your life on a train in Europe, Before Sunrise style. I myself have met people who are as beautiful as this music, but they are few and far between. This record just provided me with serenity and security. I feel everything is gonna be alright, and anything I’m having trouble putting past me now will fade into obscurity if I just put this on. And I totally believe it. An experience I think is worthwhile for everyone to have, whether they are familiar with this genre at all. Rating: 9/10

LOVED THISSSSS!!!!

She ate this so hard and she knows it

Vsf Lucas

A delightful album, true to bossa nova with modern touches. I guess if your name is Gilberto, you are inclined to excellent musicianship.

If I had the capacity to reach that stage of enlightenment that enables you to direct your rebirth, I’d do it just to be have the short lived existence of a microbe in her mouth that gets to ride into oblivion on one of the soundwaves coming from her voice.

Beautiful voice, could listen forever. She has the same effortless smoothness as her stepmother, the legendary Astrud. This is the kind of music that makes the world a kinder, mellower place... I think the right word is "Blissful". You can just feel the sun shining 🌞

What an incredible discovery! Such a seductive voice and gorgeous music. Loved it so much that we booked tickets for her next show.

Very nice easy listening. I especially liked "August Day Song"

Bossa Nova always puts me in a good mood, and Bebel is a smooth as bossa gets.

This album is great! I definitely want to listen to it more in the future.

BBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Another album I've loved for over 20 years. Sing to me Bebel

LP

I enjoyed this Brazilian masterpiece.

No doubt that this is a musical family. I’m huge bossa nova fan, but if you would have described a “bossa nova, drum machine, new age” album, I would have been skeptical. All of the elements blend together in a really tasteful way that shows considerable restraint for the time. A treat to listen to.

i have basically no bossa nova knowledge, but this album was really lovely! good vibes all the way through, really enjoyed the use of electronic music

Smooth as silk. Just want to sit back and let all parts of this flutter over me.

Absolutely incredible.

This album was really pretty and very relaxing. I loved it a lot more than I thought I would.

Sumptuous opening track. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Bossa Nova music style. And real music. If you like this just a littel bit, go listen to RED HOT +RIO (a compilation) or the all time classic album that will blow you away "Getz/Gilberto" . This album gives me hope for The List. ....which needs more variegation, World and more Varied (and female) voices, and less rancid rap, garage and punk. But hey, another time we can go down the allmusic ratings, or rolling stone lists, right? And this has been educative so far. Bebel. She was Eva in the film Rio, is a brazilian bossa nova figure, she is NOT descended from Astrid Gilberto, but IS descended from Brazilian guitarist / vocalist João Gilberto (Astrid's ex), and her mother was singer Miúcha. So, maybe we will hear the album "Getz/Gilberto" which has two of my all time favourite tracks. I'm off to Rio now....

Different language but really good chill Jazz

Well, this was a first for me in that there's a song on this album I couldn't find on Spotify nor YouTube. So for now I'll just have to skip it. That song is Alguem. There were a couple of covers on YouTube but I refuse to listen to those as I feel it takes away from what listening to this album should be. However, I can safely say I'll be seeking this out in physical form. This was a beautiful album. A beautiful mix of Bossa Nova, Future Jazz and Downtempo. Even felt a bit of DnB energy from Lonely. Fun, mostly upbeat and tuneful. I wish for a warmer day to review this, quite honestly. Favourite: Lonely

It is very interesting to hear this right after listening to her father. While that record had a staleness to it, this is much more reminiscent of Norah Jones and a soothing coffee shop type record. I liked.

I remember clearly when this album came out. As a fan of bossa nova and her father João Gilberto, I was definitely interested. I read reviews and planned to buy it...and evidently didn't. This was quite a lovely update of the bossa nova into a 21st century feel. It's wonderful to revisit such a great version of "Summer Samba," one of my all time favorite songs. It was quite perfect for a first walk outside on a sunny, crisp day after a long, cold winter. This was lush and lovely.

I can hear Rio’s beaches calling. I think that the listening experience was enhanced by the non-English language lyrics.

Absolutely enchanting. I was enchanted.

There’s noticeable Brazil representation on this list, and I’m for it! This is a lovely listen that was just perfect for my evening. There’s a lot of the classic bossa nova/samba sound with some modern twists nestled in there. It all works wonderfully.

lovely

the jazzy feel was much appreciated, and i love love love this person’s vocals!

Jazzy calm really good vibes. Kinda reminds me of the wild world sound track.