Walking down the streets of NYC when the temperature is 47 degrees, my mind wanders to Brazilian blue skies, radiant sunlight, and palm trees. I waddle to work bundled in my puffy down jacket and snow boots just thinking how I will miss the warmth and relaxing summer season.
To mentally extend my summers, I listend to the sweet sounds of Bebel Gilberto, Brazil’s most inspiring musical export. As the New York Times put it, “Her lyrics of love and longing flutter and repeat in a blend of Brazilian beats, with alternating pulsating and breathy electronica.” () If you’re skeptical, you can listen to samples of her music at http://www.bebelgilberto.com/. Singing in both English and Portuguese, Bebel’s voice is truly relaxing. With an impressive musical background, including playing with Stan Getz at Carnegie Hall at the mere age of 9, Bebel’s latest album Memento was an international hit when it launched last spring, receiving rave reviews from what seems like every music critic. And really, what’s not to like? It’s beautiful, sensual, soft, interesting, captivating, alluring…and every other positive adjective you can think of. I’m actually listening to her music as I write - whisked away to a Brazilian beach with the Sugarloaf Mountains in the distance, colorful bikinis everywhere, the feel of the soft beach towel on the back of my legs, and the sounds of Bebel Gilberto streaming through my iPod.
And then I wake up to realize I’m wearing two sweaters just to sustain some semblance of body heat. But I’ll put on Bebel Gilberto whenever I need a mental vacation. Which, of course, will happen after work…not during.
Image taken from New York Times
