Documents from Gilberto Gil's Private Archive

Music musically, although the singer is not on best form. The album, which has an excellent balance between Gil and his musicians, represents an artist in complete harmony with a repertoire considered difficult" by the majority of the Brazilian media when it was released on the 1997 studio version Quanta. Utilising uncomplicated arrangements, which reflect the musical simplicity of his themes, Gil demonstrates his renowned musical diversity by revisiting his work, blending his own compositions with quotes and songs by Bob Marley (Stir It Up Is This Love?). There are many surprises to be found. One is the funk-samba Pela Internet (By Internet), where he alludes to Master Donga's classic samba Pelo Tele- fone (By 'Phone). Gil tailors the past and the future in the most unconventional way, as a natural reflex of his flexibility. This Grammy award is justly deserved, albeit in the World Music category Oslo's Sun Recorded in 1994 and released in Brazil and several European countries in 1998, the album o Sol de Oslo (Oslo's Sun) cannot be considered a work by Gilberto Gil alone, as stated in the sleevenotes. This assertion was disturbing to the artist him- self because the record was produced in association with other artists using spontaneous and experimental ideas Themes relating to his Northeastern roots form the backbone of the CD and in its context and finished product it elegantly distances itself from the damning concept of folkloric music and from being labelled automatically as world music. Intentionally or otherwise, the record has a global sound when musicians from the northeast and southeast of Brazil (Gil, Marlui Miranda and Rodolfo Stroeter) Gil. 1996 are put together with the ideas and musicianship of an Indian percussionist and a Norwegian keyboard player and all this is layered with the melodic seasoning of the Brazilian instrumentalists. 8 arrangement of Lingua do P. composed by Gil when he was an ebulliant Tropicalista; the rediscovery of the music of Moacir Santos, who has been living for decades in Los Angeles and is the composer of the previously unheard Ciranda with its refined lyrics written by Gil; the rerecorded, intense A Santinha La Da Serra, where Toninho Ferragutti's accordion dramatically punctuates the lyrics written by Vincius de Moraes. On the previously unheard Rep.a Gil- bertonian rap. the composer wisely observes: "The Photo Rejane Carneiro Consisting of a repertoire of xote, côco, well-known melodies, forró, and other musical styles from the Northeast of Brazil, O Sol de Oslo is an extremely delicate album. Delights and surprises are revealed throughout the album. There are new compositions by Gil and Marlui Miranda: the revival of a classic song immortalised by Jackson do Pandeiro (17 Na Corrente); a free-flowing re- people know what they want but the people want what they don't know". A real pearl is the candomblé hymn kao by Gil and Rodolfo Stroeter, the music producer and owner of the record company Pau Brasil, who is also responsible for this beautiful work. Two of the songs on the album were recorded later in Brazil: Onde O Xaxádo Tá (Gil and Stroeter) and Oslodum, a poetic and rich fusion of sounds and words, conceived and performed by a Gilberto Gil at the peak of his creativity. Whether he is speaking about ruler and compasses Aquele Abraço), physics or computers (Quanta), Gilberto Gil transforms his art into the antithesis of anacronysm. The new and the unusual are the raw elements which the artist employs to develop his tradition. -