Inauguration party at the Brazilian Academy of Letters

Elected on November 11, 2021 - with 21 votes against 7- the singer-songwriter from Bahia took the chair number 20 of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, which had been occupied by journalist Murilo Melo Filho, who died on May 27, 2020, and became the second black person to have a seat in the academy.

On April 8, 2022, in an event that began at 9pm, Gilberto Gil finally put on his uniform and received from the hands of other academics the necklace, sword, and diploma, officially being inaugurated and becoming an immortal (the word used by the members of the Academy). 

The event had a large guest list. Foreseeing maximum capacity of the space reserved for the board of directors - which was attended by the mayor of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes - the event producers spread big screens in other areas of the Petit Trianon building.

Led into the Noble Hall of the Petit Trianon by the immortals Antonio Cícero, Nelida Piñon and Rosiska Darcy e Oliveira, Gilberto Gil was welcomed by academic Antonio Carlos Secchin. Gil took the pulpit to start his speech around 9:30pm. 

The speech was addressed to "Mr. President of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, Academician Merval Pereira", to "Mrs. Secretary General of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, Academician Nélida Piñon", to the "Academicians", to the "friends here present", and to "my children, my grandchildren... and Flora".

During his speech, Gil sang the following verses from the song Luar (A Gente Precisa Ver o Luar), from the 1981 album of the same name: "If night invents darkness, light invents moonlight. The eye of life invents vision, sweet glimmer on the sea.

Before going to the party, where he received greetings from more than 200 people, Gil signed the inauguration book.

He then received the necklace from the hands of actress Fernanda Montenegro.

Then the sword was handed over by writer Arnaldo Niskier.

The diploma came through filmmaker Cacá Diegues. 

The poet and essayist Antônio Carlos Secchin spoke for a little over 45 minutes, also paying homage to Flora, Gil's wife and manager, describing the song that Gil had composed for her, Flora, when they met in the late 1970s.

The party followed with drinks and typical Bahian food, such as acarajé and biju. 

Gil's entire family was there, the press was there in force, and many famous guests honored this unique moment in the history of the only immortal from Brazilian music.

Demonstrating impressive vitality, for more than three hours Gil never tired of smiling for photos and meetings, standing in his now eternal and definitive uniform.