The Ministry of Culture and the defense of the intangible heritage
Minister Gilberto Gil has transformed capoeira, acarajé, samba de roda, frevo, and other artistic manifestations in intangible heritage, acknowledged by UNESCO.
By Instituto Gilberto Gil
Text: Carla Peixoto, journalist and researcher
“The intangible heritage engraves itself in the corporality; its support is the human body. It is a heritage to be passed on, from generation to generation, by people. Therefore, people should be taken care of.”
Gilberto Gil
With this words, emphasizing the importance of the intangible heritage policy of the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute [IPHAN, in the Portuguese acronym], then-minister of Culture Gilberto Gil opened the launching ceremony of a celebrative mail stamp, themed with the Samba de Roda of the Recôncavo of Bahia—recorded as intangible heritage of Brazil in 2004—and also celebrated the homologation of the registry of making of acarajé food by women of Bahia.
Gilberto Gil na abertura de exposição comemorativa dos dois anos do Museu Afro Brasil (2006-10-23)Instituto Gilberto Gil
With the baianas, traditionally-clad women from Bahia, and samba musicians, the minister ate acarajé and joined a roda de samba at Solar Berquó, a house dated from the 18th century, headquarters of the regional office of IPHAN, in Salvador. In the picture, Gil at a function at Museu Afro Brasil, in São Paulo, in 2006.
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During the ceremony at Solar Berquó, having the clapping of audience as background, he sang verses of a popular samba that narrates the obstinacy and solidarity of the baianas de tabuleiro, traditionally-clad women from Bahia who sell acarajé in the streets.
Grupo de samba de roda se apresenta em solenidade presidida pelo ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil para inauguração do projeto de restauração do Solar Araújo Pinho (2006-08-24)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil em solenidade de apresentação do projeto de restauração do Solar Araújo Pinho (2006-08-24)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Vim para a Bahia para ver se dinheiro corre / I came to Bahia to see if money is circulating
se dinheiro não correr / If money does not circulate
de fome ninguém morre. / no one will starve to death
Grupo de samba de roda se apresenta em solenidade presidida pelo ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil para inauguração do projeto de restauração do Solar Araújo Pinho (2006-08-24)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil e a governadora do Pará, Ana Júlia Carepa, em apresentação de carimbó em visita oficial em Belém (2008-05-06)Instituto Gilberto Gil
“The first major heritage of a people, inserted within a community, in a human set and with its cultural dimension, is the people itself. The individuals, the people, the human set in itself. Why? Because all culture emerge from there…
“… Culture is produced to be reversed as an enrichment of said people. The entire culture produced by manhood, ever since the stone age—the building of tools for hunting, for its survival, the discovery of fire, agriculture, all of it…
“… is produced for the welfare of the people itself. Therefore, the people are both the origin and the destiny of cultural manifestation. Nowadays, moreover, all production, and, therefore, the man, from the point of view of the production system, are seen as human capital…
“… This is how it is within capitalism itself, man is the main good. All that is produced by this man, by the human being, for himself, throughout history, in a material and immaterial way…
“… these two dimensions are necessarily interconnected and articulated. Everything is done, starting with this required interaction between man, culture and nature. I see, hence, the establishment of a conceptual field on what culture is, what heritage is.”
Said Gilberto Gil, in an interview to journalist Carolina Cantarino for the IPHAN e-magazine, Patrimônio, on August 15th, 2005. In the picture, then-minister visiting Pará state, in 2008.
According to IPHAN, the intangible heritage comprehends “the practices, ways of living and thinking the world, the ceremonies and religious rituals, the dances, the music, the legends and tales, the history, the plays and crafts, along with instruments, objects, and places associated with it.”
Agradecimento do Samba de Roda do Recôncavo ao Ministro Gilberto GilInstituto Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil com o entrevistado Adiro Abetutu Alaketu de Kêto em cena do documentário Pierre Verger: Mensageiro entre Dois Mundos (1998)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Protection to the Afro-Brazilian religious temples
In April 2004, the then-minister attended the official listing as intangible heritage of the Afro-Brazilian religious temple Mãe Olga do Alaketu, by IPHAN. In the picture, Gilberto Gil in a Candomblé temple in shot of Pierre Verger’s documentary: A Messenger Between Two Worlds, from 1998.
Ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil e Zulu Araújo no terreiro Ilê Axé Opó Afonjá (2006-07-13)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Conceptually, Candomblé temples are the sites of permanence of the cultural life of an originally African people that have become Brazilian, throughout history, through the reproduction of African matrices and from the interaction with other matrices, Amerindian and European.
“In the process of conjugation of these cultures, the candomblé temple, a locus, has ben of fundamental importance. There are the interactions of African religions that came from the Gulf of Guinea with the indigenous animism, with the conceptual religious of the catholic, Christian world…
“… the Candomblé temple is, thus, a lab for this Brazilian religious processing, starting off, especially, from the African strand. It is a very valuable thing. It had been valuable in the past, it is valuable today and will remain valuable in the future…
“… it is a set of religious manifestations that expand over several fields, music, dance, culinary, clothing, relation with nature, ecological dimension, all of it sheltered in a Candomblé temple with characteristics of its own.
“… and, in addition to that, it is also a shelter for the human heritage, of this capital called Afro-Brazilian people.”, said Gil, in an interview to IPHAN e-magazine. In the picture, visiting the candomblé temple Ilê Axé Opó Afonjá, in 2006.
By placing the preservation policies of IPHAN within the context of cultural policies of the Ministry of Culture, Gilberto Gil had defined them as strategic, to the extent in which they have dislocated the focus of interest out of the built historical heritage—original and basic motivation for the creation of the institution, favoring material collection and architectural complexes. Throughout time, this issue had progressed into the incorporation of other dimensions of heritage importance: the intangibility and immateriality of the symbolic heritage, which take place through artistic manifestations.
“It is a very important strand. No wonder that, recently, UNESCO has issued the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity to shelter this international importance in the entire planet, all continents, in Africa, Americas, Europe, Asia, ultimately, this immaterial dimension. Brazil is now looking into educate its society, its people towards it, in the sense of recognize and appreciate, preserve and conserve its intangible historical heritage.”
Gilberto Gil, in Patrimônio magazine.
O então ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil, o então presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva e o então presidente do STJ, ministro Edson Vidigal, observam uma viola do integrante do grupo Samba Chula Os Filhos da Pitangueira durante o lançamento do Programa Nacional do Patrimônio Imaterial, no Palácio do Planalto (2004-05-10)Instituto Gilberto Gil
National Intangible Heritage Program
The launching of the National Intangible Heritage Program, October 5, 2004, had the attendance of minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil, o presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva e o presidente do STJ, ministro Edson Vidigal, com o grupo Samba Chula Os Filhos da Pitangueira durante o lançamento do Programa Nacional do Patrimônio Imaterial, no Palácio do Planalto (2004-05-10)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Members of the samba group Samba Chula Os Filhos da Pitangueira also attended it, coming from São Francisco do Conde city, in Bahia.
Ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil, o presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, o governador do Ceará, Lúcio Alcântara, o presidente do STJ, ministro Edson Vidigal, com integrantes do grupo Samba Chula Os Filhos da Pitangueira, durante lançamento do Programa Nacional do Patrimônio Imaterial (2004-05-10)Instituto Gilberto Gil
The event gathered politicians and served as a presentation of the candidacy of the Samba de Roda of the Recôncavo of Bahia to the UNESCO Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity listing, which aims at preserving important cultural manifestations around the world.
Gilberto Gil, Eduardo Campos, Tony Gel e Luiz Fernando de Almeida durante cerimônia em que Feira de Caruaru se tornou Patrimônio Imaterial Brasileiro (Fevereiro de 2007)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Caruaru Fair: cultural heritage
On February 2007, IPHAN handed to the Caruaru Fair, in Pernambuco, the certificate of cultural intangible heritage of Brazil, which was granted on December of the previous year.
Gilberto Gil e Eduardo Campos durante cerimônia em que Feira de Caruaru se tornou Patrimônio Imaterial Brasileiro (Fevereiro de 2007)Instituto Gilberto Gil
The title puts the fair in the registry book of places of IPHAN, which enlists fundamental sites for the continuity of practices and activities they house, regardless of architectural, aesthetics or landscape values.
Gilberto Gil e políticos durante cerimônia em que Feira de Caruaru se tornou Patrimônio Imaterial Brasileiro (Fevereiro de 2007)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Have attended the ceremony the then-minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and the mayor of Recife at the time, Tony Gel.
Ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil em passeio pela Feira de Caruaru (Fevereiro de 2007)Instituto Gilberto Gil
The listing of Caruaru Fair as intangible heritage has as target to protect the dimension of the space—a set of fairs such as the cattle fair, the craft fair, the Cordel Museum, meat and flour markets; besides a farmers market with all its subdivisions.
Gilberto Gil em apresentação em que conferiu à Feira de Caruaru o título de Patrimônio Imaterial Brasileiro. (Fevereiro de 2007)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Gil performed during the event at Caruaru Fair.
Pernambuco frevo in a celebratory spirit.
On February 9th, 2007, the day frevo turned a hundred years, IPHAN granted the musical rhythm the title of intangible heritage of Brazil. The Pernambuco state was in a celebratory spirit.
“Today is a historical day for our city. A hundred years of the rhythm that better conveys our people’s cultural expression.”
João Paulo, mayor of Recife
Ministro da Cultura Gilberto Gil em reunião de registro do frevo como Patrimônio Cultural Imaterial do Brasil (2007-09-02)Instituto Gilberto Gil
A ceremony to grant frevo the title of intangible heritage of Brazil
Gilberto Gil em show comemorativo dos 100 anos do Frevo (2007-09-02)Instituto Gilberto Gil
In Recife, the party of frevo’s centenary gathered frevo orchestras and frevo dancers at Arsenal square.
Gilberto Gil e elenco do show comemorativo dos 100 anos do Frevo (2007-09-02)Instituto Gilberto Gil
At Marco Zero square, in the port district, the minister Gilberto Gil, along with artists like Antonio Nóbrega, Maria Rita, Lenine, Elba Ramalho, and Alceu Valença delivered a big concert for the releasing of the double CD 100 Anos do Frevo, by the Biscoito Fino record label.
Gilberto Gil com Antonio Nobrega e Carlos Fernando durante evento de comemoração dos 100 anos do frevo (2007-09-02)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil e o cantor e compositor Lenine nos bastidores do show comemorativo dos 100 anos do Frevo (2007-09-02)Instituto Gilberto Gil
In the city of Olinda, the party went on all night long, with a parade of traditional frevo associations, such as Pitombeira and Flor da Lira, and Lenhadores Club, another commended of the city that also reached its hundred years in 2007. In the picture, Gil and singer Lenine in the celebration in Recife.
Gilberto Gil em show comemorativo dos 100 anos do Frevo (2007-09-02)Instituto Gilberto Gil
João Paulo, mayor of Recife at the time: “Today is a historical day for our city. A hundred years of the rhythm that better conveys our people’s cultural expression.” In the picture, the then-minister of Culture in the city’s celebration.
During his time as head of the Ministry of Culture, from 2003 to 2008, Gilberto Gil conferred to culture a new dimension within society’s perception and within the government itself. He broadened the concept of culture through its strengthening within the federal, state, and city entities, sheltering culture within their administrative structures, in the allocation of both budget and resources.
“I have a less orthodox view of culture and cultural management. Within the list of cultural issues to be taken care of, it is important to highlight the expansion to the expressions of popular origin, properly national, properly ours. To the modern ones in relation to the old and the contemporary ones emerging now from new hybrids, from the new cultural mutations produced by the technological, commercial, and industrial evolutions. Ultimately, there are these two basic pillars: strengthening of the Ministry of Culture based in its conceptual enlargement and the amplification of its ability to act and physical ability to act.”
Gilberto Gil, in Patrimônio magazine.
Sources: Cantarino, Carolina. “Contribuição histórica”. Patrimônio - Revista eletrônica do IPHAN, 15/08/2005; “Instituto declara frevo patrimônio imaterial”, Folha de São Paulo, 09/02/2007; “Iphan dá diploma de patrimônio cultural imaterial à feira de Caruaru”, Folha de São Paulo, 10/02/2007.
General credits
Editing and curating: Chris Fuscaldo / Garota FM
Musical content research: Ceci Alves, Chris Fuscaldo, and Ricardo Schott
MinC content research: Carla Peixoto, Ceci Alves, and Laura Zandonadi
Photo subtitles: Anna Durão, Carla Peixoto, Ceci Alves, Chris Fuscaldo, Daniel Malafaia, Gilberto Porcidonio, Kamille Viola, Laura Zandonadi, Lucas Vieira, Luciana Azevedo, Patrícia Sá Rêgo, Pedro Felitte, Ricardo Schott, Roni Filgueiras, and Tito Guedes
Subtitle copyediting: Anna Durão, Carla Peixoto, Laura Zandonadi, and Patrícia Sá Rêgo
Data editing: Isabela Marinho
Acknowledgments: Gege Produções, Gilberto Gil, Flora Gil, Gilda Mattoso, Fafá Giordano, Maria Gil, Meny Lopes, Nelci Frangipani, Cristina Doria, Daniella Bartolini, and all photographers and characters in the stories
All media: Instituto Gilberto Gil
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