Bebel Gilberto: Bossa Nova Lova

With the recent successful comeback of Sade Abu, I'm reminded of another calm-voiced starlet that has simmered just below superstardom in the States but is part of a musical legacy in Brazil and parts of South American: Bebel Gilberto.
One part Sade, the other part Sheila E., (no Bebel doesn't play drums) Gilberto learned the music business from her father, João Gilberto, who basically created bossa nova. Bebel's mother is an accomplished musician as well, having sung all over the world. But don't get it twisted, Bebel is American, born in New York City and even has the distinction of performing at Carnegie Hall at age 9.
She's got a crisp lineup of beautiful albums, adding to her catalog of laid-back music. My fave, released a few years back, is Tanto Tempo. Oh, yeah, it's in Portuguese.

Love Deluxe: Hip-hoppers jones for Sade

It is rare that a songbird from another era and genre is held in such high regard in the hip-hop community as Sade Abu, who just released her long-awaited album "Soldier of Love," to critical acclaim. Whether you think she should allow a rapper to be on her song or not is one thing, but the respect they have for her music is something else.
Interviewed by New York Magazine, peep what some of the top rap artists today had to say about the "Smooth Operator."

Keri Hilson: My Dad would whistle Sade melodies randomly all the time. As a kid, I used to try to whistle along to "Cherish the Day" or "Sweetest Taboo." He was a real Sade fan and made me one, too! We couldn't be in his car even for five minutes without hearing her voice!

Rakim: I grew up on soul music, but when my pops introduced me to Sade just before Diamond Life hit, it was a revelation. That voice and her style just took out even the hardest hood at the knees. "Smooth Operator" may have been a smash for everyone worldwide, but that was my track, and you can catch me referencing what she was trying to get across from Paid in Full up to my new album.

Talib Kweli: My favorite Sade memory is watching her perform Love Deluxe in its entirety at Madison Square Garden. The band (Sweetback) was so tight, and even though she left her spot at the mike only a couple of times, when she did she was so sexy it was magical. I learned a lot about precision that night. There was not a note or move out of place.

Would hip-hop sully Sade's image?

This month music fans were treated with new music from the sultry sound of the husky-yet-suave vocals of British-Nigerian singer Sade.
The "Smooth Operator" star is back after a decade hiatus that has seen the music industry almost tank. But unlike any other time before her, Sade is entering a music business pock-marked with hip-hop stars that sound like singers and singers that sound like rappers.
The question of features from hot rappers is a real one.
Word is that Drake even pushed his new music back so that he could make a plea to have Sade sing on it. Of course, Lil Wayne can't be far behind him, nor can Gucci Mane. But what would happen if Sade let the rappers gangbang the track?
Would it be magic or a mistake?
In essence, would hip-hop sully or dirty the image and soulfurl sound of the regal Sade?