Documents from Gilberto Gil's Private Archive

The Epoch Times Nation World China Business Opinion Life Health Science & Technology Arts & Entertainment Sports Features Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party Divine Performing Arts Coverage CCP Incites Flushing Mobs 2008 U.S. Presidential Election China Earthquake NTDTV and Eutelsat Repression in Tibet The 2008 Olympics & Human Rights Organ Harvesting in China's Labor Camps Gao Zhisheng China's Transition to Democracy Tainted Products from China Good Stories from China CCP Student Spies Quitting the CCP Epoch Times Reporters Jailed in China The Real Story of Jlang Zemin Previous Features CARTOONS Murphy's In-Law Advertisement Arts & Entertainment Music By Rayme Samuels Special to The Epoch Times Brazil's Broadband Music Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil's latest album has common touch Gilberto Gil wears many musical hats. Not only a forefather of Brazil's Música Popular Brasileira and Tropicalismo movements and the nation's current Minister of Culture, Gil has recently embarked upon an inventive way to blend music and technology. Relentlessly forward thinking, the Grammy award-winning musician has grown from his bossa nova roots to persistently challenging the way the world thinks about music. Promoting his latest album, Banda Larga Cordel, the pioneer has ushered in The Broadband Tour, a series of concerts in which audiences are encouraged to use digital cameras and cell phones to record, film, edit and rebroadcast the entire show online. With noble intentions, the lively Gil hopes to engage his fans and to provoke the kind of interaction that is symbolic of the Internet in the age of social networks and international dialogues. FedEx. FedEx makes shipping easy "This album is more personal. It is Gilberto Gil talking about his perceptions of this and that," Gil explained. Printer version E-Mail article Give feedback Jul 07, 2008 MULTI-TALENTED: Brazil's Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil blends his music with modern technology in The Broadband Tour. (Rayme Samuels) With a sound inspired by countless musical genres including samba, forro, axé, reggae, baião, afoxé, xote and traditional African roots, the album embraces a number of hits including the playful "Despedida de Solteira", the complex American Jazz inspired "Samba de Los Angeles," and the infectious samba, "Amor de Carnaval." Joining Gil on the album and tour is his legendary band that includes Arthur Maia on bass, Alex Fonseca on drums, Bem Gil and Sergio Chiavazzolli on guitars, Claudio Andrade on keyboards, and Gustavo de Dalva on percussion. "Because I spent four years at the Ministry (of Culture) without writing, I recently began to write again. Perhaps that is the reason for this desire to express myself in a most personal way through songs and the music," Gil continued. To the great joy of his fans, the spirited icon best known for his collaborations with Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa and Tom Zé in the 1960's, broke away from his day to day life in the office to collaborate with top musicians and producers. He explained his penchant for productivity by saying, "During my life I learned to do many things at the same time." The album speaks to the common man in a simple language. With songwriting always at the top of his mind, Gil writes in the dialects of the street markets and the countryside that people can immediately identify with and understand. Written in hotel rooms and on the weekends, the album came to life between his many responsibilities and is largely inspired by his daily life, interactions with friends and family, and a need to examine the philosophical effect of music and culture on the people of not only his country, but of the world. Without a doubt, the innovative concept behind the Broadband Tour will change the way artists reach out to their audiences. Gilberto Gil continues to push the boundaries of music, saying with a captivating smile, "I must always attempt to turn on the engine of creativity." At 65 years old, he doesn't seem to be interested in slowing down. For more information on Gilberto Gil's summer tour dates or to purchase Banda Larga Cordel, please