Gilberto Gil and Luiz Gonzaga

Gilberto Gil's first Brazilian idol was Luiz Gonzaga, an accordion player from Pernambuco known as the King of Baião. Gil was still a boy when he first heard Gonzaga's accordion on the radio in Ituaçu. After Gil’s family moved back to Salvador, his mother took him to see Gonzaga perform in one of the city's squares.

The sound of the accordion—an instrument typical of northeastern Brazil—resonated very strongly in the young boy and he started having lessons to learn how to play it. Dominguinhos, the accordion player in Gonzaga's band, accompanied Gil on the recording of Eu Só Quero Um Xodó and went on to appear on stage with him sometimes. 

And Dominguinhos went from being a fan of Gil to being his musical partner, cowriting Lamento Sertanejo (Forró de Dominguinhos) with him for the Refazenda album. 

A landmark encounter took place in 1985 when Gil, Gonzaga, and Dominguinhos performed together at Gil: 20 Anos Luz, a concert the Bahian lyricist and poet Waly Salomão staged in São Paulo to celebrate Gil's 20-year career in music. 

 In 1984, Gil recorded a cover version of Gonzaga and Zé Dantas' Vem Morena for his album Raça Humana.

In 2001, 12 years after Gonzaga's death, Gil celebrated the King of Baião's work in his album As Canções de Eu Tu Eles—the soundtrack for the film Eu Tu Eles (Me You Them)—by including six forró and baião classics that Luiz Gonzaga cowrote with his various partners.