Toda Menina Baiana
A song for his eldest daughter, made in Salvador, which became one of the most played of his catalogue.
Gilberto Gil, from Realce (1979)
- Written by
- Gilberto Gil
- Released
- 1979
- Length
- 3:52
- Album
- Realce
Gil made Toda Menina Baiana in Salvador beside his eldest daughter Nara, then in pre-adolescence. He says on his site that the song is for her and because of her. It is the seventh track on Realce. In 2024 it was the fifth most played Gil track on Spotify, with more than 32 million plays at the time, and ECAD ranks it the sixth most played of his songs in public performance and the seventh most re-recorded.
It has been used in the soundtrack of the 1998 miniseries Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos, the 2016 film Aquarius and the 2024 telenovela Renascer. He played it for the UN General Assembly with Kofi Annan on percussion. A 1983 release paired it with Dono do Pedaço and Samba de Los Angeles.
Covers and versions
- Georgie Fame (1986) English version titled Samba, released as a single.
- Maria de Fátima (1981) Opening track of her only album, Bahia Com H.
- Daniela Mercury (1998) Live, on the album Elétrica.
- Eliane Elias (2011) On Light My Fire, with Gil taking part.
- Ashley Beedle (2014) Remix, for Fatboy Slim Presents Bem Brasil.
- Trio Nordestino (2020)
More songs by Gilberto Gil
Aquele Abraço, Patuscada de Gandhi, Domingo no Parque, Andar com Fé
Sources
- Toda Menina Baiana, Wikipédia
- Realce (1979 LP), Discogs
- Toda Menina Baiana (1983), Discogs