The Gift

Biography
by MacKenzie Wilson
Sonia Tavares, Miguel Ribeiro, and brothers Nuno and John Goncalves comprise the eclectic sounds of the Gift. The Gift were merely teenagers when they formed in 1994 in a small village outside of Lisbon, Portugal. Together, the four-piece spent the next five years composing a stylish mix of classical, jazz, electronica, and rock. Labels in their native land were hesistant to sign them because they sang in English, however their debut album, Vinyl, was issued on BMG across Europe and quickly went platinum. Interest waned overseas, but the Gift trudged on; they founded their own label, La Folie, in late 1999. Moby picked up on the Gift's undeniable artistry and asked for their assistance during the Play sessions. Shared festival dates with Coldplay, Morcheeba, Massive Attack, and James followed into the new millennium, giving the Gift a chance to perform in front of crowds of 40,000 people. The Gift were coming into their own by this time and their sophomore effort, Film (2001), highlighted their new sultry rawness.