Documents from Gilberto Gil's Private Archive

of President Luiz Inacio Lua ua Silva the previous October "It's not often you get the chance to tour this part of the world, so it's very exciting." Gil says. "The question was asked whether I could come at this time, I asked a few questions whether or not I could the opportunity was there to come to New Zea- land, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, so I've taken it "Basically I am coming to play music, but it would be very difficult to come all that way without doing some sort of official business. Our representa tives in those countries will have arranged things, and there will be some official meetings as well, but by and large the focus will be on music." Gil, 62, was a household name in Brazil long before he became a politician. In the 1960s he played a part in the founding of the highly influential Tropicalia musical movement, which saw traditional Brazilian samba and bossa nova wedded to Western pop and rock music. The Tropicalia sound was revolutionary, and so were Gil's lyrics. With Brazil being ruled by an authoritarian military dic- tatorship, his stirring calls for social justice and individual free- doms were bound to see him find his way into trouble, and Gil was imprisoned for a time before being forced to flee the country. "Myself and many others were speaking out about our lack of freedoms, the lack of freedom of speech, freedom of enterprise, and for the way we were gener ally unable to express our feel. ings and our thoughts," Gil says. "The regime at the time made it very hard to be an artist or musician. It became quite com- monplace for your home to be searched, to be arrested. "The new generation, they have an idea of how hard and how difficult things were for those who went before them. They know they have to face the demons of those times and express anger and anguish about those things, and condemn life under a militaristic, dictatorial regime." Gil's time of exile was rich with musical experiences most notably a jam session with Jimi Hendrix in London and discover ing the music of Bob Marley. Marley -- another singer of songs calling for social justice — was a huge influence on Gil, and one of his two New Zealand concerts is a night of Marley music. "It has been a boon to my life to have Marley's music, because of his sentiments, his feelings, because of his messages he gives of social advancement," Gil says. "His rhythms and melody, his voice and its sensuality, are a muse which has taken me. I am a lover of this music." After a few years away Gil returned to Brazil and his career as a musician. He did not aban- don his political beliefs or activism though, and served some time as his province's cul- tural minister before rising to prominence in the national politi- Mi vanas www moment in Brazilian history Brazil's first left-wing presiden the one-time factory worker also the first citizen from humble background to reach the country's highest office. A simple act of symbolism the inauguration ceremon demonstrated how difficult the task the new president and he colleagues face when forme president Cardoso handed Lube his sash of office it was the first time in 40 years an elected present dent had passed the sash to another elected president. Gil says one of the most diffis cult things the new administra tion has had to deal with is the high expectations of Brazil S people, who after electing a gov ernment of change expected immediate miracles. "This is one of the difficult things about changing processer and national expectations," Gil explains. "Lula, because he represents a very special part of this society. He represents what many people in this country call the real Brazil - poor people, mestizo (mixed race) people, workers ang tradespeople, people from the bottom of society, "The people have placed enormous faith in Lula and his election has raised excessive expectation. They don't under stand that drastic change is not possible, that we have to follow a natural process and not provoke a traumatic break with current society. "That's one of the most diffi- cult things we have to face, that expectations are far ahead of what we can really provide." Despite such strains, and the fact the demands of office mean a scaling back on Gil's work as a musician, he says he has no regrets about agreeing to become Brazil's Cultural Minister. "It was a very difficult decision, but I had the feeling that when history comes to you it is up to you to accept that - whether that be being president or cultural minister or what ever," Gill says. "In accepting the responsibil- there ity I had to act positively has to be some reason why I was chosen to do this, and it would be rejecting that historical aspect. "I'm glad that an artist, a poet, a person from the bottom of society, a black man, can have this chance, so that makes it even more difficult to say no to history, and maybe advance it a little." In other words, Gil had to live out the words of a Bob Marley song he frequently performs, and Get Up and Stand Up for his rights. "That's it, absolutely," he laughs. Someone who is downtrod- den has to stand up for them- selves and for others and seek deliverance and raise societal expectations." Gilberto Gil performs In Well- Ington as part of the New Zealand International Arts Festival. He has shows on February 28 and 29: the Festival runs from February 27-March 21.