Tropical Princess: Bebel Gilberto

SHE'S THE GIRL from the guy from Ipanema, the daughter of Brazilian music royalty.

Singer-guitarist Joao Gilberto — one of the creators of bossa nova — and singer Miucha welcomed baby Bebel to the world on May 12, 1966, in New York City. By the time she was seven, Li'l B made her singing debut on her mom's first solo album, and she's rarely slowed up since, collaborating with the likes of Caetano Veloso and David Byrne.

But it's only been in the last seven years that Bebel Gilberto has stepped out of the shadow of her parents and collaborators and into the solo career spotlight — and what a bright light it is.

Gilberto's Grammy-nominated, million-selling 2000 debut, "Tanto Tempo" (Crammed Discs), is her label's best-selling album. She followed it with a self-titled disc in 2004 and the brand new "Momento," another sensuous journey through various Brazilian styles (bossa nova, samba, forro) but with a modern electronic edge. Standout tracks include the two she co-wrote with Brazilians Girls' Didi Gutman and Sabina Sciubba and "Cacada," penned by Bebel's superstar uncle Chico Buarque.

So, what do her legendary parents think of her music?

"I don't ask them. Never. I have other things to do," Gilberto said. It's not that Bebel doesn't care. "It's just that relationships between parents, when they are both artists, are sometimes a little bit harder," she said.

Gilberto isn't running away from her family legacy, either — though even if she was sprinting from it, it'd likely catch up.

"I broke my leg, and I went to an acupuncturist to have some treatment," Gilberto said. "I went to downtown L.A., to this weird Japanese guy who had all this vinyl. Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, all these jazz musicians. He said to me, ‘I'm going to play "The Girl From Ipanema." I said, "OK, if you want me to enjoy this session, you better take this off."'"

Because of her busted stalk, Gilberto and her band prepped for their current tour via the Internet, using Skype and a Web cam. Because of they couldn't get things synchronized, Bebel could only monitor the musicians rather than perform with them.

"It helped me a lot to see what they're doing, but it was difficult for me to control them and get them to turn their computers on. Because when I broke my leg, they thought they got rid of me," she laughed.

Gilberto performs on Saturday at Merriweather, sandwiched between headliners Manu Chao Radio Bemba Sound System and Thievery Corporation, as well as DJ sets from Ursula 1000, Nickodemus and Thunderball.

"I take the chance to go a little crazier when I play live," she said. "I'm a performer. I was born to be onstage."

» Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia; Sat., 5:30 p.m., $30-$45; 800-551-7328.

Photos courtesy Six Degrees/Crammed Discs/Shore Fire Media