Preta Gil

Some Lesser Known Facts About Preta Gil

• In 1974, after her birth, her father, Gilberto Gil, went to register her name after his own mother’s name.

• At the registration office, the clerk told him that he could not register the name Preta for his daughter.

• Gilberto Gil then asked him why names like Branca (white), Clara (clear), and Rosa (rose) were allowed, but not Preta (black).

• The clerk then replied that Preta could only be used if it was paired with a Catholic name. So, Gilberto Gil registered her as Preta Maria.

• When she was one year old, her father shifted from Rio de Janeiro to Salvador.

  

• Her older brother Pedro Gil was born in London while their father was living in exile in Brazil during’s military rule.

• Her father, Gilberto Gil, and his friend Caetano Veloso, a singer, left Brazil because of the military government.

• Her maternal grandmother was the mother of Sandra and Andréa Gadelha (Dedé), who married singer Caetano Veloso.

• While they were in London, Preta Gil’s grandmother raised the children and helped both families during difficult times.

• As a child, she lived in imagination and even had an imaginary puppy when she was five years old.

• When her father worked with Sérgio Mendes in Los Angeles, the family lived in California for eight months.

• Her siblings, Maria and Pedro, had curly hair, but Preta Gil had straight hair, so Veloso called her ‘Filipina.’

  

• In the 1980s, she often received the chance to go behind the scenes, being the daughter of a musician. She loved the energy and excitement. She felt at home in that environment and was very attracted to the stage.

• At that time, Preta Gil wished to play the character Chacrete, a dancer on the television show Chacrinha.

• Every Saturday, she would go to the Fenix Theatre or the Botanical Garden.

• Her father, Uncle Caetano Veloso, and godmother, Gal Costa, were all famous at the time and appeared on the show Chacrinha.

  

• Preta Gil often begged her mother to let her go to a taping of the show.

• One day, she was allowed to go into her uncle’s dressing room, where she saw costumes and instruments and thought that he was like a male version of Carmen Miranda.

• Preta Gil watched the show from a corner and loved the fun and colourful atmosphere. She admired Elke Maravilha on the show. This experience inspired her to pursue a career as a singer and actress.

• She would imitate her godmother, Gal Costa.

  

• In 2003, Preta Gil released her first music album, “Prêt-à-Porter.” She posed nude for the album cover and booklet to express a feeling of being reborn.

• After the photoshoot, she showed the pictures to the record label, which warned her that the photos might cause a scandal.

• Preta Gil replied that other singers had also posed nude for their album covers, so it should be less controversial.

• Once, during a media conversation, she said that she liked being fun and relaxed. She added that people would not have judged her if she were thin.

• In 2005, Preta Gil released her second studio album, titled Preta, which included two songs, “Very Dangerous” and “You and Mene, You and Me.”

  

• In 2008, she started a tour called “Noite Preta.”

• Preta Gil then recorded her first live DVD/Blu-ray, which was released on 17 July 2010.

• After the release, she mentioned that she might release a bonus DVD featuring ‘only the prohibited’ content. She often described the “Preta Gil on stage” as being bolder, outspoken, and different from her personal, everyday self.

• In October 2013, Preta Gil celebrated 10 years of her music career with the live recording of her DVD/Blu-ray “Bloco da Preta” at Citibank Hall in Rio de Janeiro.

• The event was held on 23 October 2013 and featured a mix of Brazilian rhythms, including pop, swing, funk, axé, pagode, and samba.

• It was a three-hour show that included performances by Lulu Santos, Ivete Sangalo, Anitta, Israel, and Thiago Novaes.

• The performance was highlighted by Master Pablo, who was leading the “Black Power” drum corps with 10 drummers and dancers.

• Preta Gil performed energetically in high heels, saying, “Only now I can.”

• During Carnival 2014, she performed alongside Psy and Claudia Leitte as part of the “Varanda Elétrica” in the Expresso 2222 cabin.

• That same year, Preta Gil performed 19 shows in 15 days. Her “Bloco da Preta” street parade became the third-largest in Rio, which was attended by more than 2.5 million people.

• She managed the intense routine with help from a physical therapist, osteopath, speech therapist, and her partner Rodrigo as her trainer.

• Once, Preta Gil shared in the media that she had learned to delegate tasks and prioritise her health after suffering knee injuries in the 2010 and 2012 Carnivals.

• In March 2020, she got COVID-19.

• In July 2020, she revealed that she was pansexual and shared that she had been in romantic relationships with women.

• According to Preta Gil, she was born bisexual and was proud to be a fat, Black, bisexual woman. She was proud that her father was bisexual.

• In January 2023, she was diagnosed with cancer. She went through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

• In August 2024, Preta Gil released her life story in a book titled Preta Gil – Os primeiros 50.

  

• Her cancer came back during treatment, and she also faced personal difficulties. She stayed in the hospital for 55 days before being discharged in 2025.

• In May 2025, Preta Gil went to the US for treatment at top hospitals like Memorial Sloan Kettering and the Virginia Cancer Institute. She passed away on 20 July 2025.

• She had been featured on the covers of many noted magazines and tabloids.

  

• Preta Gil was an animal lover and had a pet dog. She often shared pictures of her pet on social media.

  

• She liked travelling to distant places and swimming in her free time.