Brazil singer Gal Costa dies at 77, following a five-decade career

Renowned among Brazil’s greatest singing voices, Gal Costa died at the age of 77. The information was confirmed this morning (Nov. 9) by her press office, which did not disclose the cause of death.

Gal Costa, née Maria das Graças Penna Burgos, was born in Salvador, Bahia, in 1945, according to The Cravo Albin Dictionary of Brazilian Popular Music, which includes a detailed account of her award-winning career in music.

A fan of bossa nova since she was a teenager, Gal, as she is called among Brazilians, gave her first show in 1964 at the opening of the Vila Velha Theater, in Salvador, with artists that would follow her throughout her career, such as Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, and Tom Zé.

Her first LP, Domingo, was recorded in 1967 with Caetano Veloso and produced by Dori Caymmi. When her first solo album was released in 1969, Gal had already released some of the iconic hits of her career, such as Divino Maravilhoso, presented at the Fourth Brazilian Popular Music Festival, and Baby, which was part of LP Tropicália.

With a career packed with legendary renditions, the singer also made her mark when, back in 1975, she recorded Modinha para Gabriela, the theme song for TV Globo soap opera Gabriela. The following year, Gal joined Maria Bethânia, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso to form Os Doces Bárbaros, a group that brought crowds to their concerts.

Throughout her more than 50-year career, Gal Costa has performed in compositions by great names of Brazilian music, such as Aquarela do Brasil, by Ary Barroso.