Nando Reis: “I had him pegged as sacred, but he played ball”

One important thing in my life were the shows I saw. Of Gil's, there were countless, and many of them only with the acoustic guitar. And the way he relates to the instrument, his relationship with the music and with the show itself really caught my eye.

In other words, the way he reasoned, the way he thought huge concerts, that always impressed and influenced me. He’s my biggest influence.

I’ll tell you something that’s a paradox. I’ve been playing the guitar for several years, but Gil was the artist I played the least. Because I have this kind of weird thing about fixating the idea on something and not getting close to the others.

I played a lot of things from the album Refavela, from Refazenda, I played a “Back in Bahia” a lot in concerts… Now, songs like “Expresso 2222” and “Chiclete com banana” are songs that I never dared to play. They stayed in the imaginary.

Another album I’ve always loved, I’ve called a Bible is Gil & Jorge: Ogum, Xangô, because I'm also a big fan of Jorge Ben and I love the track “Filhos de Gandhi.”

Titãs was hired by the same label as him, Warner Music, in 1982. I think the first time I shared a stage with Gil was in 1985, with Titãs participating in the 20 Anos-Luz concert, which he did in São Paulo with several guests.

We made an arrangement for “TV Punk,” a song that isn’t on any LP, only in that box Ensaio Geral, which Marcelo Fróes produced. It was the first time I heard it.

In 1986, we started working with Liminha at his and Gil’s studio, Nas Nuvens. He produced Cabeça Dinossauro, by Titãs. It was another way of being close to Gil and the producer who was one of his greatest collaborators on records.

I think the influence of poetics, I can’t separate Gil from Caetano, although we’re talking only about Gil. I think the two inspire me a lot, not least because I think they intersect, interconnect, and have a relationship of similarity and uniqueness. 

Back in Bahia is one of the most important records of my life, and it is simply an extremely autobiographical statement of a situation. Of course it has an impact, because I have always been a composer. I think I’m connected in the imagetic thing.

I feel kind of baroque, even. And prolix, too. I like songs that have long lyrics, and I see a lot of that in Gil and Caetano. Without a doubt, he’s a great influence as a songwriter, and I believe that what you said is true.

With some amazement. I think this calling of his surprised me. I remember he was already a musician, I played for Titãs, and I campaigned for him when he wanted to be mayor of Salvador. I remember I had my T-shirt with “I want Gil” or something like that written on it.

I always had, although I’m not a religious guy, I always found the spiritual relationship, the mysticism, beyond the plausible and the true of musicality, charming in Gil's songs. I’ve always felt this more because of the guitar than any religion itself.

From a personal point of view, I was sorry when he became minister of Culture because I thought he would stop playing the guitar. I know that he has to dedicate himself to other things that are important to him, and I, somewhat selfishly, wanted him playing.

This was the first time I was with Gil in the studio. I remember he went to Marisa’s house and they took Paulinho da Viola’s song, “Dança da solidão,” and made the arrangement right in front of me.

I remember we talked about Milton Nascimento. There is a partnership of mine with Marisa, “O céu,” in which I recorded the electric guitar and he recorded the acoustic guitar. And that was our first studio interaction.

That’s right, I do. I must have been nervous. I remember it was at his house. I must have done a mediocre interview. I had trouble talking and getting close to Gil. I had a lot of reverence. I have that with Caetano, too.

With people I admired a lot at a time in my life when I was a kid, I have this thing. I think I only broke it with Gil when we played the Trinca de Ases project together.

I was invited to be part of the show in Brasilia that would celebrate the centenary of Ulysses Guimarães. The journalist Jorge Bastos Moreno, a good friend of Gil’s, organized it. I was invited through Flora Gil, as well as Gal Costa.

We did this first concert, in October 2016. We had a rehearsal, then a soundcheck. The format was Gil with four songs, then the two of us would play four, and then came to Gal and sang four. 

It was very moving, and there was a moment when we sang “Por onde andei”. That day, I thought, “Wow, I'm playing and improvising with Gil!” It was an achievement. When I left the stage, he came up to me and said: “I wanted to play the acoustic guitar with you.” I couldn’t believe it!

So I said: “Let’s switch, then? I’ll play like you and you play like me.” I kept it as the greatest compliment I’ve ever received in my life, because it came from none other than Gilberto Gil.

There was a very big affinity on stage and after a few days came Flora’s idea for us to tour. And then there was something new in my life, which was to be able to talk to Gil over the phone, exchange e-mails, become his partner.

I started hanging out, talking to him. I never imagined that one day I would have Gil’s phone, but things just kept getting more natural. And out of that came a CD and a DVD.

Ah, that was very cool. He sent me some lyrics, I made the song and presented it to him. We made little adjustments together when it came to making the arrangement. I had one view of the song, he had another.

We recorded mine, but when I saw him playing his version on the concert, I saw something big. I love that song. Gil is a very serious man, a tireless worker.

A guy who comes on time for rehearsals. It was amazing to see him coming, working, changing arrangements, it was an incredible experience.

Several. I’ll say a few: “Retiros espirituais,” “Back in Bahia,” “Drão,” “Sandra,” and “Babá alapalá.”

Brazil wouldn't be Brazil if there wasn’t Gilberto Gil.