The Many Faces of Gilberto Gil

Gilberto Gil is one of the most symbolic figures of Brazil from the last 80 years. With a career lasting over 50 years, the singer has created an artistic universe that brings together popular and highbrow culture into a universal body of work with a Brazilian face, but a Bahian accent.

Gilberto Gil has left a mark on Brazilian culture – not just in music, but in many other areas. He has been a councilor, Minister of Culture, an environmental advocate, and in 2021 he became a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

Gilberto Gil’s musicality was shaped by various influences. Samba and bossa nova, identified with the works of Dorival Caymmi and João Gilberto, were fundamental to the Bahian singer’s way of composing and playing guitar. 

Gil’s northeastern roots were also essential and he was strongly influenced by the baião of Luiz Gonzaga, an artist he covered on several occasions. He also became enamored with the sound and look of the Banda de Pífanos de Caruaru.

In ‘Tropicália,’ Gil was heavily influenced by the psychedelia and arrangements of the Beatles, as well as the figure of Jimi Hendrix, who influenced not only the distorted guitars of his early albums but also his visual style and attitude.

A major discovery that would influence Gilberto Gil’s career from the 1970s onwards was reggae, the Jamaican rhythm whose main exponents included Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff. 

The catchy melodies and funky beats of Stevie Wonder also heavily influenced Gilberto Gil’s sound. He became a personal friend of the American singer and performed alongside him several times throughout his career.

With all these influences, the singer crafted a unique sound in his work. In his early recordings, which include singles and his first album, 'Louvação' (1967), bossa nova guitar and northeastern rhythms shaped his compositions.

With ‘Tropicália,’ the sounds of rock with guitar, electric bass, keyboards, and drums adorned compositions that blended Brazilian music traditions with the latest international pop.

In the first half of the 1970s, his approach to the guitar and new musical influences acquired during his exile in London led him to focus on creating and performing with bands, giving his work the hallmark of longer songs.

The presence of reggae, proximity to new pop-rock artists, and arrangements filled with synthesizers and electronic timbres marked his career in the 1980s, when he released classics like ‘Drão,’ ‘Palco,’ and ‘Tempo Rei.’

Dividing his time between the stage and the position of Minister of Culture in Lula’s government, Gilberto Gil made only one album of new material during this period, ‘Banda Larga Cordel’ (2008).

The 2000s were marked by his repertoire of June festival songs, covers, and the album ‘Kaya N’Gan Daya’ (2002), in which he reinterpreted Bob Marley’s work.

He recorded another tribute – this time in honor of João Gilberto’s bossa nova – with ‘Gilbertos Samba’ (2014), and toured alongside Caetano Veloso, celebrating their 50-year careers with ‘Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música’ (2016).

In his post-pandemic career, Gilberto Gil formed a band that brought together his family. His children, grandchildren, and great-granddaughter joined him on stage in shows throughout Brazil and the world, with sold-out nights in several countries.

A father of eight, grandfather of 12, and great-grandfather of one, the idea of bringing together family members on stage has been around since the 1980s, when his children Nara Gil and Pedro Gil (1970-1990) joined his band as vocalist and drummer, respectively.

Besides having his family members on stage, Gil’s wife Flora is also his manager and producer. They have been together for over 40 years and have three children: Bem, Bela, and José Gil. 

Invited by President Lula during his first term, he also took over the role of Minister of Culture and became the longest-serving minister during Lula’s first two terms, from 2003 to 2008.

With a body of work marked by songs about love, political protest, science, existentialism, and various other themes, Gilberto Gil was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Letters in 2021.

Reggae Gil, samba Gil, rock Gil, father Gil, grandfather Gil, great-grandfather Gil, Councilor Gil, Minister Gil, immortal Gil. With his many faces, Gilberto Gil endures in Brazil’s history with the same plurality that marks his country.