Gilberto Gil had left Brazil along with his friend, fellow singer Caetano Veloso, because a military dictatorship was in power.
Both Gilberto Gil and Veloso were exiled and went to live in London, leaving Preta's grandmother to raise the children.
When her father made a record in Los Angeles with Sérgio Mendes, the family moved to California, where they lived for eight months.
Gil was in Rio de Janeiro at the height of the 1980s when Bombando, Blitz, Paralamas, Barão Vermelho, and Lulu Santos were popular.
When she went into her uncle Caetano's dressing room and saw all of the costumes and instruments, she thought that he was the male version of Carmen Miranda.
She would imitate her godmother, Gal Costa, and other reputable and talented singers and actresses that she loved like Rita Lee and Elba Ramalho.
In a TV interview for GNT, the program Annoying "Fernanda Young", Gil said, she liked to be fun and relaxed which, with all certainty wouldn't have been a problem if she were thin.
In 2008, Gil debuted her new tour, called "Noite Preta", where on 20 October 2009, recorded her first live DVD/Blu-ray, scheduled for release on 17 July 2010.
Say the Preta woman from the stage is a more liberal without locks on the tongue, foul mouth like that," Gil told the EGO.
Waiting for the 2010 FIFA World Cup through the pre-release first live DVD/Blu-ray of Preta Gil was on 17 July 2010, in "Scala Rio," with a big party.
I have a wonderful staff and very nice experience every minute with this whole situation," Gil told the EGO during a conversation in the dressing room.
Gil celebrated 10 years of her career with burning the DVD/Blu-ray, Bloco da Preta, which took place on the evening of Wednesday, 23 October 2013, at "Citibank Hall" in Rio de Janeiro.
With a mix of Brazilian rhythms ranging from pop to swing, passing through funk, axé, pagode, and samba, the show had the participation of Lulu, Ivete Sangalo, Anitta, Israel and Thiago Novaes and had three hours of duração.
Master Pablo in front of the battery "Black Power" with 10 drummers and dancers on stage gave a special glow to the show.
I am very happy," said Gil, who despite having taken a physical therapist did not care about the knee problem, jumped in high heels and used during the presentation said "Only now can."
During Carnival 2014, South Korean singer, Psy sang alongside Gil along with Claudia Leitte, integrating programming of "Varanda Elétrica" the cabin "Expresso 2222".