Documents from Gilberto Gil's Private Archive

G Gubengi Brazilian singing star Gilberto Gil mixes South American soul with world rhythms By HELEN LEE ilberto Gil is celebrated worldwide, counts people Heads maker David Byrne among his big gest fans, and, for the past 25 years, has been considered a super- star in his native Brazil. Now he's on the verge of breaking through in North America. The road to accep- tance here has been long for some one who rarely sings in English Currently being embraced as part of the world music" phenom- enon is another of life's ironies when, for years, he's been playing stadium-size shows in Europe and Japan. At home, his remarkable, fluid voice draws tens of thousands The name of Gilberto Gil adorns plaques on several historic build- ings in his Bahia birthplace. torekebies and of count, sanuba-based And there is good reason. Gil melodies then spun them out with a solid Caribbean influence Ailding indigenous folk styles to expressive rhythms, he forged a unique, and uniquely African American sound, combining cm tive vocals with intricate melodies to create music that draws it's dyna- mism from its diversity music with a dance beat Gil takes his growing success here - a club tour in the States and, for the first time, some dates in Canada - in stride Worldwide. there has always been a "stable and dedicated" au- dience for Brazilian music, he "There's a solidifying." he feels a renewed excitement about Brazil ian music preceded in his lifetime only by the suave. Sonorous tones of bossa nova Jazzy sobriety no longer holds an eminent place in contemporary Brazil - old time kitsch like Carmen Miranda isn't even in the picture. For Brazil, a notes, "not so big, mind you." but pockets of devotees flourishing centres. Among the more influen- here and there, mainly in urban tial fans was Byrne. Hip to the fact him, outside America for new that people were searching, like sounds, he compiled Beleza Tropi- cal, the first of several collections of "Brazil Classics." The sampler, country which boasts the largest Gil says, is a "fairly representive" onc. "It's a quick, immediate selee tion of some representative ele ments of Brazilian music. There are at least four or five nanies, suc cessful Brazilian artists like Chico 48 Buarque, Milton Nascimento, Cae- 48 tano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben - who are absolute stars in 49 Brazil. They are representative of 41 these last 20 years of music in Bra zil." .51 54 Along with some attention to 60 ania's duet is one of the LP's high- gender (Gal Costa and Maria Beth. 60 lights), there are more idiosyncra 23 tic choices, like Nazare Pereira, .45 who gained fame outside of Brazil, 53 mainly in France. Gil, whose next album will be released by Island, DE> ART BOOKS FASHION FILM music seems tickled by Byrne's largely successful effort to fashion a Bra zilian music care package for North American cars. when . where GILBERTO GIL & the Copa 21 Scolard), Friday, July 7 522 50 972-6500 "It's a first, and if you consider that Brazilian music is so broad, to black population apart from Ni cover it all, it's really novel. It's geria, tropicalismo was a revela- like if I'm going to do a collection tion. of American music, which should I "I don't have such a deep knowl pick up first? Gershwin, Cole Por edge of it," insists Gil, who ister, Frank Sinatra?" roundly acknowledged for spear- Gil's own influences are a wealth heading, along with his best friend, of cross-cultural pollination. Caetano Veloso, the tropicalismo Turned on to rock during the 60s. movement. "I was part of it, I was le cites the Rolling Stones, Beatles, led into that, but it was labelled. I Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin as was just doing music, mixing major inspirations for his invigorat- styles, just trying to do a new thing." ing brand of Brazilian pop. Later, salsa, funk, fusion, reggae, and Over two decades later, North even god old bossa nova, figured Americans are beginning to catch into the intoxicating mix. Prince, on to the graceful, hypersensual he says, is a current favourite. To style of Brazil's top tunesmiths day, Gil remains one of the most Singers like Gil, Veloso and Milton varied and vital songwriters of his Nascimento are household names generation. in Brazil, where the national popuBorn and raised in Salvador da lar music plays a large part in cul Bahia, between Rio de Janeiro and tural life. Nuanced and exceedingly Recife, on the cast coast, he grew charismatic. Gil's melodious man up in relatively comfortable sur- ner is still the gutsiest of them all roundings. "By black standards." thousands and keep crowds swaying leged." Along with an apartment in Live, he's been known to arouse he notes. "I'm exceptionally privi- all night Rio he still makes his home there. Dedicated audience Last year he strengthened his ties to the city by seeking local office. emphasizing housing, sanitation Running successfully on a platform and ecology, as well as cultural and black-related issues, city councillor Gil now arranges his tours around parliamentary sessions. Music, in a sense, is his vacation. FOOD LISTINGS MOVIE MINIS MOVIE TIMES MUSIC/RECORDS THEATRE TORONTO TALK NOW JULY 6-12, 1989 on. Pop music, huge concerts, new languages, long hair, drugs, every progressive about colour. There's "In some sense, Brazil is more thing. We were interested in that. "We felt those things were a blacks, and whites only relating to nothing like blacks only relating to symbol of a new era, a new time. A whites. Especially because the so- wide. We were trying to do an new project for the youth world.ciety is very poor. So there aren't any attitudes as visible as they are equivalent in Brazil. That was in the States, with groups like the tropicalism, for me. We wanted to improve Brazil's attitudes towardversal. We have lighter forms of Ku Klux Klan. But racism is uni- innovation and advancement." racism and prejudice and violence, nothing like death squads, but blacks get eliminated because the majority of the marginals are black. It's been going on for cen- turies. The only difference nw in Brazil is that this has become an issue as it wasn't before, 10 years ago." Centred around Bahia, tropical ismo sought to diversify Brazilian culture and gain recognition for the contributions made by blacks. In- corporating elements of folk and African-Brazilian rhythms, the music even risked censorship after ers like Gil became adept at word the 64 military coup, so songwrite play and innuendo. Existential void As it is, it's the lot of most of the music deemed "world music" that most of the listeners in these new markets aren't going to get the lyri- cal lowdown. Resigned to the fact that much of his international audi- ence doesn't understand Brazilian Portuguese, Gil's used to the ques tion. The far-reaching influence of world music, and its project to con nect disparate cultures, cause him some concern. The side effects are numerous, both good and bad. As an ambassador of Brazilian music, Gil's pleased to be coming to Can- ada, but the role is fraught with contradictions, and complex rami- fications. Travelling music Anti-authoritarian "Music on record, on radio, is "They're about many different things. Some songs have social world music. African elements go commentary, they're about tragedy.ing European, European clements the human, individual fear of going American, American cle- death, the existential void, nihiments going Brazilian Brazilian lism. There's some reflection about elements going Cuban, Cuban cle- god, religion, drugs. And there are ments going Japanese, it is like love songs, little philosophical lines that. Musicians travelling by plane, about life and death." pop concerts being staged for tele- Gil's career is frequently related national. It's world Vision all over the planet. It's inter- to Stevie Wonder's work in the pop field, his involvement with civil "But at the same time, we lose a rights and black consciousness in local perspective. It goes very wat For someone whose anti-authori- forming his music. It's a cultural ey in terms of language, it's tarian stance and lyrical double comparison that Gil doesn't mind. cleaned up and standardized. Inter- entendres so vered the military re. "The only difference is that I national, multinational culture, the gime (with a prison term and don't consider myself as gifted and understanding of it has to be super- three-year exile from 69 to 72 to talented as he is, musically, Otherficial. Pop culture is superificial, it prove it), his public office is a sign wise, I think we pretty much have has to be. It's tourism, and enter that times are a-changin. The for the same tastes, the same projectainment and fashion -- and com- cign debt crisis, finally recognized tion. We both take care of our merce. It's cultural industry, as everyone's problem, along with blackness, the cultural aspects of There's nothing deep about indus- the Amazon rainforests, keeps Bra- various movements, and our politi- trialism. Of course, it makes peo zil in the headlines. While political responsibility." cally inflected pop songs can raise ple happy and comfortable. The The widely held notion of the point is, the United States keeps the awareness about these issues, direct Brazilian melting por, a multicul- hegemony, in terms of production 50, knows this as well as anyone. action ensures results. Gil, edging tural society where race isn't a con distribution and promotion of "( Me and Caetano and Gal (Velo idea of an American melting pot, sideration, is just as false as the music. They own the market. The Americans have developed an un- so's sister), in the 60s, we were im and just as dangerous. It's a haunt beatable culture, for an artist. pressed by what was going on in ing reminder of Brazil's colonial Hollywood, Coca Cola and rock existentially like the Socialiste existentes, politically past that racist remarks are punish! . counter-culture movement - Dy "Young people now have a lot lan, the Beatles, the Black Pan- more freedom than I had in many respects. And a lot more informa- thers, all the campus activity - the tion. And things are slowly starting alternative things that were going to change." 20 rarely are they en forced. In a society where most of Brazil's population, black and white, lives in poverty, racial divi- sions lose some resonance.