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Musicians

GILBERTO GIL
Guitar

 

Gilberto Gil
The Artist
Gilberto Gil is one of the most important singers, composers and instrumentalist of modern Brazilian pop music. When his 17th album Nightingale was released, the first in the United States, his music crossed the borders and achieved international status. Aside from his brilliant performances at the famous Montreux Jazz Festival, Gil has toured with great success throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, South and North America.
Gilberto Gil was born in the city of Salvador, in the northern state of Bahia - Brazil, in June of 1942. Just after his birth, his family moved to the interior of the state, where he spent his childhood. He 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 to the radio. At age of 8, he went back to Salvador, where he was influenced by Trio Eletrico (a group formed by heavy percussion and typical electric guitars) at Carnival time. Attracted by the baião (a rhythm of the northern part of Brazil) of Luiz Gonzaga, he 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). Around this time, Gil heard the singer and guitarist João 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 dear in his first song, "Felicidade Vem Depois". While he was composing and recording jingles for advertisements and starting a career in music, he was studying business administration. In 1964, he was in the "Nós Por Exemplo", a show of bossa nova and traditional Brazilian songs. Also part of the show, the singers Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Gal Costa and Tom Zé.
In 1965 Gil moved to São Paulo. After playing and singing in various shows, he had his first hit when the famous singer Elis Regina recorded his song "Louvaçao". He then recorded his first album, also called Louvaçao. With the influences of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, his musical conception became more urban. In the following years he was one of the leaders of "Tropicalia", a cultural movement that sparked a whole renovation in all aspects of artistic manifestation in Brazil (cinema, cenic play, music, poetry, literature). At this side, there were musicians like Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Tom Zé, the conductors Rogerio Dupratand Julio Medaglia, Luis Carlos Capinam and Torquato Neto.
In 1969, Gil and Caetano were forced to leave Brazil by the military regime and went to live in London. However before leaving the country, he sang the beautiful farewell song "Aquele Abraço", in a concert they were allowed to give to all fans in Salvador. 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. When he returned in 1972, he recorded Expresso 2222 an album in which he returned to his baião and samba roots.
After playing at the International MIDEM Festival, in 1973, Gil recorded other albums: Ao Vivo ('74) and Gil & Jorge ('75) with singer and composer Jorge Benjor. Then he began his so-called "Re-Trilogy" recording the album Refazenda ('75), a tribute to his "sertaneja" music (Brazilian country music) background. The following year, Gil teamed up with Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa and Maria Bethania to tour Brazil under the name of Doces Barbaros. An album and a film by the same name were released. The album Refavela, released in 1997, expresses the relationship with the music of Africa, where he had been for a Black Art Congress in Lagos when he met Stevie Wonder and Fela Kuti. This was Gil's effort at melting rhythms from countries like Nigeria and Jamaica with his own from Rio and Bahia. Refestança, with Rita Lee, was also released in 1977. Gil also began his association with WEA in 1997, signing at the end of that year. In 1978 he went to the U.S. and then recorded Nightigale, an album specially composed for the American market. Gil also released the double live album, Gil in Montreux, recorded during his performance at the Jazz Festival in Switzerland in the same year. Next, came Gil's first studio album for WEA, Realce, released in 1979, one of his most successful records, ending the "Re-Trilogy" (Refazenda/Refavela/Realce).
In 1980, Gil teamed up with Jimmy Cliff for their first tour together in Brazil. Gil's cover song of Bob Marley's hit "No woman, no cry" (from the Realce album) climbed the Brazilian charts to number one, for months, selling 700,000 copies. In the following album, A Gente precisa ver o Luar ('81), one of his most acclaimed records, Gil pursued his experiences of Refavela and Realce blending elements of the international pop movement with local music expression. In 1982 Gil was back again to the Montreux Jazz Festival, but this time for the Reggae Night, with Jimmy Cliff. Subsequent albums by Gil includes Extra ('81), Um Band Um ('82) and Raça Humana ('84). This album had the participation of The Wailers and some recordings have been made in Jamaica.
In 1985, Gil celebrated his 20th career anniversary with the release of the album Dia Dorim Noite Neon and with a big event in São Paulo called Gil 20 Anous Luz. This event included live performances by the most important Brazilian singers like Jorge Benjor, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Roberto Carlos, Gal Costa and Maria Bethania. By then Gil had been already touring Europe and U.S. for the last five years and went touring Japan for the first time in 1986.
Gilberto Gil em Concerto, recorded live in Rio was released in 1987. The next year Gil decided to dedicate some of his time to Brazilian politics. He moved back to Salvador with his family and took over the presidency of Fundaçao Gregorio de Matos (the institution which is responsible for the cultural activities and the preservation of the historical landmarks of the city). In 1988 became a member of the Council of the City Hall of Salvador where he ramained till 1992. In that period he recorded Eterno Deus Mu Dança (1990).
Leaving the City Council in 1992, Gil recorded Parabolicamara. The single "Madalena" hit the street and became one of the most popular songs of Carnival that year. Parabolicamara marks 25 years of recording success and in a sense, the album's compositions reflect this. "The Parabolic" world tour got off to a block buster start on January 20, 1992, with a spectacular free show on Rio's Copacabana beach for over 80,000 fans. From there, Gil toured all of Brazil, as well as throughly covering Europe, U.S., Japan and other areas. Parabolic's footprint really covers the earth.
Gil & Caetano went to the studio and recorded Tropicalia 2, released in 1993, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Tropicalia as well as their friendship of 30 years.
In January '94, Gilberto Gil is recorded and performed the first MTV Unplugged project in Brazil. The album and home video were released in Brazil and internationally in April '94; following in the U.S. with Gil's first released in the Atlantic Jazz label in June 1994. This album and home video contain several outstanding tracks including big hits like "Realce", "Super Homem", "Expresso 2222", "Palco" and "Sitio do Picapau Amarelo".

The Musician/Composer
Gilberto Gil, is today a distinguished personality on the Brazilian cultural scene. During his 29 year as musician and composer, he has recorded 32 records and had many albums released in sixteen European countries, seven Latin American countries, Israel, Japan, U.S....
First of all, one finds a remarkable rhythmic versatility through his production. He has used northeastern rhythms (xote, xaxado, afoxé baião), bossa nova, samba, funk, ballad and other Afro-Bahian cultural expressions, as well as reggae and other Caribbean rhythms. Secondly, a wide variety of themes ranging from human behavior to social issues such as women's condition, discrimination of Blacks and their religions, nature, spirituality, love and music itself, always lyrical, and often critical, irreverent and provocative. The combination of these factors added to his talent the capacity of improvisation, resulting in vigorous performances, with true sessions of delight not rarely scented with intimism.
Decorated "Knight of Arts and Letters" by the French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, awarded the Shell and Sharp Price, as well as Cruz da Ordem de Rio Branco, by Itamarity in Brazil for overall career excellence.
His compositions are performed by representative national and international artists as Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Sergio Mendes, Claude Nugarot, Toots Thielemans, Ernie Watts, Larry Coryell and others.

The Politician
Over the recent years, Gilberto Gil has become a peculiar man of action. His role as policymaker has allowed him to act in various fields of social concern. Today, he is deeply involved in environmental preservation and conservation and remains as President of Fundaçao Onda Azul (Blue Wave Foundation), an institution which supports a nationwide network of environmentalist efforts geared towards the conservation and usage of Brazilian waters.
He began in 1987, as President of the Gregorio de Matos Foundation. Besides the efforts for the preservation of historical landmarks of the city, he also focused on the strenghness of the relationship between Bahia and Africa at the time House of Bahia was opened in OUIDA, Benin and a House of Benin was opened in Salvador. In 1988 he was elected City Councillor. A year later was appointed President of the Environmental Defense Committee at the City Council in Salvador.
Gilberto Gil became a member of the advisory council of Fundaçao Mata Virgem (Rainforest Foundation) and Fundaçao Alerta Brasil Pantanal (Brazil Alert Swamplands Foundation) and at the same time President of the Negro-Mestizo Reference Center (CERNE), an organization created by Antonio Riserio and himself while in the Gregorio de Matos Foundation.
In 1989 he affiliated to the Green Party and has been a member of its National Executive Commission.
Likewise, frequent travels for political environmental purposes became necessary. In 1989 he made contacts with U.S. to request funds for CERNE and environmental projects in Salvador. In 1990, upon invitation by the Smithsonian Institution, which co-ordinated meeting, he participated in the discussions for the elaboration of new environmental policies to be adopted by a IADB Programme for Latin America. He was official representative of the Salvador City Council at the United Nations World Congress on local governments that same year.
His contribution, in such a range of activities, make of Gilberto Gil an important element of a new era that emerges. In Brazil, the preservation of Nature is conquering political space and Gil takes an important role in all this process.
Beyong his environmental concerns, Gil has also invested his efforts to save Salvador architectural heritage. As secretary of Culture, he invited the worldknown architet Lina Bo Bardi and a team of experts design a project promoted by the Gregorio de Matos Foundation, other municipal departments and cultural organizations for the restoration of the City's sadly ruined architectural patrimony, which has been declared Landmark of the Humanity.
Nowadays, Gil works actively with Blue Wave Foundation, pursues a foreign collaboration with Sting, in order to reach justice for Brazilian indians, as well as with the Green Party.

Biography courtesy of Duende

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