Gilberto Gil

From Philosopedia

Gil, Gilberto (26 June 1942— )

A noted Brazilian-born musician, songwriter, and politician, Gil was born in Salvador, Brazil, the son of José Gil Moreira, a physician; and Claudina Passos Gil Moreira, a teacher. He was educated at a Marist Brothers school and received his B.B.A at the Universidade Federal de Bahia.

Gil grew up listening to the duels of violeiros (a kind of improvised musical battle of blind singers and guitar players) at the local markets, street bands, and on the radio. When he was eight, he was influenced by Trio Eletrico (a group formed by heavy percussion and typical electric guitars) in carnival time and started to play the accordion. By the end of the 1950's, Gil was playing in the forros (a kind of popular dance party) with a group called Os Desafinados (The Out Of Tunes). At about this time, Gil heard singer and guitarist Joao Gilberto on the radio for the first time. Gil was so impressed that he bought himself a guitar and learned how to sing and play the Bossa Nova. This influence is clear in his first song, “Felicidade Vem Depois.”

While he was composing and recording jingles for advertisements and starting out a career in music, he studied business administration and in 1964 was on Nos Por Exemplo, a show of bossa nova and traditional Brazilian songs. In 1965 he moved to Sao Paulo. After playing and singing in various shows, he got his first hit when Elis Regina recorded his song, “Louvacao.” He then recorded his first album, also called Louvacao. With the influences of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, his musical conception became more urban. In the following years he was one of the leaders of "Tropicália," a cultural movement that influenced all aspects of artistic manifestation in Brazil (cinema, drama, music, poetry, literature).

In 1969, Gil was forced to leave Brazil by the military regime and went to live in London. However, before leaving the country, he sang a farewell song “Aquele Abraco,” in a concert in Salvador.

“During the dictatorship,” Gil observed, “there was a lack of other means for political expression, so music became one of the most important ones. That’s not the situation now [in 1994], but music is still an important tool because it deals with ideas and feelings and visions—everything that matters for life.” In London Gil mastered his technique on electric and acoustic guitars, exposed his music to audiences outside Brazil, and recorded his first album in English. He since has returned to Brazil, recorded in the United States, performed at the jazz festival in Switzerland, played at the MIDEM Festival, and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Gil has toured with great success throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, South and North America. His many albums include Um Banda Um (1982), Extra (1981) and Raca Humana (1984).

Gil has received the “Knights of Arts and Letters” by Jack Lang, the French Minister of Culture, and the Cruz da Ordem de Rio Branco, by Itamarity in Brazil, for overall career excellence.

For a time Gil served on the city council of Salvador, his hometown, where he spoke out against racism and social injustice while championing the environment. When he resigned that office, he blamed his

• lack of talent in politics. I’m a humanist, and politics is not humanist.

The Grammy Award-winning musician stepped down as Brazil's culture minister on 30 July 2008, a position he had held since 2003. He had planned to resign to treat a problem with his vocal cords, but he was persuaded to remain in the post according to The New York Times. His resignation, he claimed, would give him more time to his music and family.

{New York Daily News, 29 June 1994; The New York Times, 1 August 2008}