The music truck Trio Expresso 2222 and the musical encounters in the Carnaval of Bahia
Always featuring famous guests, the Gilberto Gil act dragged thousands of partygoers through the streets of Salvador
By Instituto Gilberto Gil
Text: Ceci Alves, filmmaker and journalist
Only the dead will fail to follow a music truck
Gil and his own music truck
There was a buzz in the Carnaval of Bahia in 1998, when the news that musician Gilberto Gil would parade up on his own independent music truck—meaning it would be free for the partygoers—became a reality. A bunch of people went to see and witness the parade of the Trio Eletrônico on Carnaval’s Friday night, captained by the singer and which brought a constellation of guests to open the Carnaval of that year, at the Barra-Ondina circuit, in Salvador, Bahia. It was the Tropicalist Carnaval, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the movement that changed the cultural and behavioral face of Brazil, and no one better than Gil, one of the movement creators, to do the honors.
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Barra-Ondina Circuit
Path walked for the partygoers crowds during the Bahia’s Carnaval
Up on the music truck, big names such as Caetano Veloso—also honored by the Carnaval theme—, Djavan, Milton Nascimento, Dominguinhos, Elba Ramalho, Baby do Brasil, and Pepeu Gomes would bring joy to the non-paying partygoers, who followed along without the need of buying an abadá [a shirt sold by music trucks that works as a ticket. Partygoers wearing an abadá get to party closer to the music truck].
It was a democratic truck, with no cordon, in the fashion of the tropicalist ideals. Afterwards, it became a way for singer and his wife and manager, Flora Gil, to put out feelers and see if there was room for parading a party express in the fertile field for new possibilities of acts and business into which the Carnaval of Salvador was converted.
Gilberto Gil em show no Trio Elétrico Expresso 2222Instituto Gilberto Gil
The concept
The Trio Expresso 2222 was created to be a space where Gilberto Gil would perform during Carnaval, having guests and drawing a crowd, with no need of cordon [music trucks in Carnaval use cordons to keep those who have paid for the abadá apart from non-payers].
Gilberto Gil e Flora Gil assistem ao afoxé Filhos de Gandhy no carnaval de 2020 (2020-02-24)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Its idea guided the creation of Camarote Expresso 2222, which emerged also in 1998, without carrying this name and only working as a support site to host the guests of Trio Eletrônico. In the picture, the VIP box in 2020.
Gilberto Gil, a esposa e empresária Flora Gil e a neta Flor, filha de Bela Gil, assistem ao Carnaval de Salvador no camarote Expresso 2222 (2017-02-25)Instituto Gilberto Gil
The VIP box comes back the following Carnaval, in 1999, which was named after the title track of the album Expresso 2222, released in 1972—the same year Gil returned to Brazil from exile in London and reencountered the Carnaval from Bahia.
Gilberto Gil no Carnaval, em show no trio elétrico (1998-02)Instituto Gilberto Gil
The music truck and VIP box only started to run together in 2001, one Carnaval after Gil paraded again the Dodô Circuit, in the trio Chame Gent, which, in the year of 2000, had celebrated the 500th year of Brazil and the 50th year of the truck.
Ney Matogrosso, Caetano Veloso e Gilberto Gil em show no Trio Elétrico (2000)Instituto Gilberto Gil
In 2001, the Trio Expresso 2222 debuts having as guests singers Ney Matogrosso and Caetano Veloso. These performers have made official the Trio’s tradition of always parade presenting MBP’s big names, as a sort of crème de la crème offered to the crowds.
Gilberto Gil com os filhos Nara Gil, Preta Gil e Bem Gil na abertura do Carnaval de Salvador 2003 (2003-02-27)Instituto Gilberto Gil
All kinds of guest
The mixture of genres was also something that caught the attention and entered the hearts and minds of carnaval goers. In 2002, Gil shared the moving stage with no one other than Ivete Sangalo, the rapper Gabril o Pensador...
Ney Matogrosso, Caetano Veloso e Gilberto Gil em show no Trio Elétrico (2000)Instituto Gilberto Gil
...and the poet, musician, songwriter and partner Jorge Mautner. In 2003, with Gilberto Gil sitting as Minister of Culture in the ministry constituted by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Trio Expresso 2222 was living its hype: in the line-up, the always present Caetano Veloso; singer Paula Toller, Mart'Nália and Sandra de Sá; and the musician Armandinho.
There were also singer and songwriter Toni Garrido—who joined Expresso 2222 when it was still called Chama Gente, in 2000—, the music truck rookie, poet, singer, and songwriter Arnaldo Antunes; and mythic singer Elza Soares.
Chame Gente: homenagem do Expresso 2222 e de Gilberto Gil a Moraes Moreira e aos fundadores do trio elétrico (1999)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Backstages
Singers Ney Matogrosso, Toni Garrido, and Elba Ramalho getting ready for the Chame Gente parade, which celebrated Moraes Moreira and the “fathers of music trucks” Dodô and Osmar.
Chame Gente: homenagem do Expresso 2222 e de Gilberto Gil a Moraes Moreira e aos fundadores do trio elétrico (2000)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Musicians Moraes Moreira, writer of the song “Chame gente,” and Caetano Veloso at the Chame Gente music truck.
Chame Gente: homenagem do Expresso 2222 e de Gilberto Gil a Moraes Moreira e aos fundadores do trio elétrico (2000)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Gilberto Gil e a filha Preta Gil no Carnaval da Bahia (2003-02-27)Instituto Gilberto Gil
From father to daughter
The music truck would also launch Preta Gil as a singer for the audience. Her debut album, Prêt-à Porter, was released in 2003.
Gilberto Gil com os filhos Nara Gil, Preta Gil e Bem Gil na abertura do Carnaval de Salvador 2003 (2003-02-27)Instituto Gilberto Gil
In addition to Preta, other children of Gil, such as Nara and Bem, have joined.
Preta Gil e o pai, Gilberto Gil, no Carnaval de Salvador 2003 (2003-02-27)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Preta developed a liking for the party and not only continued to perform in Carnaval but she had also founded, in Rio de Janeiro, the act Bloco da Preta.
Gilberto Gil e a filha Preta Gil no Carnaval de Salvador 2003 (2003-02-27)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Bloco da Preta has been regarded, in 2020, a mega-act, for being one of the most sought-after acts of the Rio de Janeiro’s party—in said year, it gathered 320 thousand partygoers at downtown Rio de Janeiro.
Gilberto Gil com as filhas Nara Gil e Preta Gil na abertura do Carnaval de Salvador 2003 (2003-02-27)Instituto Gilberto Gil
A mix of Salvador and Rio
Trio Expresso 2222 is subject to sporadic and celebratory interventions—such as the one in 2017 when Preta Gil took over Camarote Expresso 2222 and had the music truck parading in duo with her Bloco da Preta. It was a Salvador issue of the Rio de Janeiro entity, on board of the music truck consecrated by her father. The 2222 had also been reissued in 2018, to join the celebrations of the 464th year of the city of São Paulo. On board of Expresso, Gil delivered a special concert at the iconic corner of Ipiranga Avenue and São João Street, sung in the verses of the song “Sampa,” by his friend Caetano Veloso, and featured the drums and the veterans sectors of the Vai-Vai samba school, with their lead singer, Thobias.
The farewell to the music truck
The inventory of artists who went up on the music truck catches the eyes: singers Ana Carolina, Carla Visi, Daniela Mercury, Margareth Menezes, and Marina Lima; musicians Davi Moraes and Durval Lélis; friends and partners Jorge Ben Jor and Moraes Moreira; singer Samuel Rosa, band AfroReggae, among many others. Thus, the Trio Expresso 2222 had paraded, sharing the spotlight with the homonymous VIP box for years, until it was shut down in 2009, when Flora Gil thought it would be a better choice for the quality of life of her husband and family, as she said, back then, in an interview in the Bahia’s newspaper A Tarde:
Flora Gil com o marido Gilberto Gil no Expresso 2222, no último dia do carnaval baiano de 2020 (2020-02-25)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Flora’s words
“It was quite pleasing to work on the Trio Expresso. It was beautiful to see it getting to Farol da Barra, making the turn, see in the circuit that huge truck with Expresso written on it, and we would see all of what we had first started… Seeing Gil with all of the guests…
Flora Gil com o marido Gilberto Gil no Expresso 2222, no último dia do carnaval baiano de 2020 (2020-02-25)Instituto Gilberto Gil
“… That was so cool, exciting… But it takes an insane load of work. When I wasn’t so busy, I could devote myself to it, so I would start working in July and had the time to set it up, raise funds, invite the guests… Except I don’t have the ‘currency,’ which is the abadá…
Flora Gil com o marido Gilberto Gil no Expresso 2222, no último dia do carnaval baiano de 2020 (2020-02-25)Instituto Gilberto Gil
“… So there I was with a wonderful music truck, with a strong name and the best possible line-up, but with no abadá currency for exchange. I didn’t shut down Expresso for lack of sponsorship, as some people think. I didn’t have the time to be devoted to it 24 hours a day anymore.”
Flora Gil com o marido Gilberto Gil no Expresso 2222, no último dia do carnaval baiano de 2020 (2020-02-25)Instituto Gilberto Gil
Exhibit credits
Text and research: Ceci Alves
Copyediting: Chris Fuscaldo
Assembly: Patrícia Sá Rêgo
Review: Laura Zandonadi
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
Acknowledgements: Marisa Monte, 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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