Gilberto Gil: Difference between revisions
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===Political career (1987–present)=== |
===Political career (1987–present)=== |
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Gil began his political career in 1987 when he was elected to a local post in Bahia and became the Salvador secretary of culture.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sue |last=Steward |title=Minister of cool: part one |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1066490,00.html |work=[[The Observer]] |publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]] |date=2003-10-19 |accessdate=2008-03-16}}</ref> After retiring from this position, he ran for mayor in 1988 as a member of the [[Green Party (Brazil)|Partido Verde]] ({{lang-en|Green Party}}), won by a large majority, and also became the city's minster for environmental protection. In addition, Gil founded the environmental protection organization Onda Azul ({{lang-en|Blue Wave}}) which worked to protect the Brazilian coast against pollution.<ref name=bio/> He maintained a full-time musical career in this period as well and temporarily retired from politics in 1992 having recently released ''Parabolicamará'', considered to be one of his most successful efforts.<ref name=culture/> On [[October 16]], [[2001]] Gil accepted his nomination to be a [[Food and Agriculture Organization#Goodwill Ambassadors|Goodwill Ambassador]] for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, having promoted the organization before his appointment |
Gil began his political career in 1987 when he was elected to a local post in Bahia and became the Salvador secretary of culture.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sue |last=Steward |title=Minister of cool: part one |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1066490,00.html |work=[[The Observer]] |publisher=[[Guardian Media Group]] |date=2003-10-19 |accessdate=2008-03-16}}</ref> After retiring from this position, he ran for mayor in 1988 as a member of the [[Green Party (Brazil)|Partido Verde]] ({{lang-en|Green Party}}), won by a large majority, and also became the city's minster for environmental protection. In addition, Gil founded the environmental protection organization Onda Azul ({{lang-en|Blue Wave}}) which worked to protect the Brazilian coast against pollution.<ref name=bio/> He maintained a full-time musical career in this period as well and temporarily retired from politics in 1992 having recently released ''Parabolicamará'', considered to be one of his most successful efforts.<ref name=culture/> On [[October 16]], [[2001]] Gil accepted his nomination to be a [[Food and Agriculture Organization#Goodwill Ambassadors|Goodwill Ambassador]] for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, having also promoted the organization before his appointment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/wfd/ambas/amb/gil_en.htm |title=Singer Gilberto Gil |accessdate=2008-04-06 |author=Staff |work=FAO Ambassadors Programme |publisher=[[Food and Agriculture Organization]] }}</ref> |
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When President [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] took office in January 2003 he chose Gil as Brazil's new Minister of Culture, the second black person to serve in the [[Cabinet of Brazil]]. The appointment was controversial among political and artistic figures and the Brazilian press, with a remark Gil made about difficulties with his salary receiving particular criticism.<ref name=controversial>{{cite news |first=Larry |last=Rohter |authorlink=Larry Rohter |title=A Government Gig For Brazilian Pop Star; Gilberto Gil Becomes Culture Minister, But Not Everyone Sings His Praises |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03EFD8143FF932A05751C1A9649C8B63 |work=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |date=2002-12-31 |accessdate=2008-04-11 }}</ref> Gil |
When President [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] took office in January 2003 he chose Gil as Brazil's new Minister of Culture, the second black person to serve in the [[Cabinet of Brazil]]. The appointment was controversial among political and artistic figures and the Brazilian press, with a remark Gil made about difficulties with his salary receiving particular criticism.<ref name=controversial>{{cite news |first=Larry |last=Rohter |authorlink=Larry Rohter |title=A Government Gig For Brazilian Pop Star; Gilberto Gil Becomes Culture Minister, But Not Everyone Sings His Praises |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03EFD8143FF932A05751C1A9649C8B63 |work=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |date=2002-12-31 |accessdate=2008-04-11 }}</ref> Gil is not a member of the Silva government's [[Workers' Party (Brazil)|Workers' Party]] and did not participate in creating its cultural program.<ref name=controversial/> |
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Shortly after becoming Minister Gil began a partnership between the country of Brazil and [[Creative Commons]].<ref name=rohter>{{cite news |first=Larry |last=Rohter |authorlink=Larry Rohter |title=Gilberto Gil and the politics of music |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/12/news/gil.php |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |location=[[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]], [[Brazil]] |date=2007-03-12 |accessdate=2008-03-16 }}</ref> He also sponsored a program called Culture Points, which uses [[Grant (money)|grant]]s from the Brazilian government to provide music technology and education to people living in poor areas of the country's cities.<ref name=rohter/> Gil has since asserted that "you've now got young people who are becoming designers, who are making it into media and being used more and more by television and samba schools and revitalizing degraded neighborhoods. |
Shortly after becoming Minister Gil began a partnership between the country of Brazil and [[Creative Commons]].<ref name=rohter>{{cite news |first=Larry |last=Rohter |authorlink=Larry Rohter |title=Gilberto Gil and the politics of music |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/12/news/gil.php |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |location=[[Salvador, Bahia|Salvador]], [[Brazil]] |date=2007-03-12 |accessdate=2008-03-16 }}</ref> He also sponsored a program called Culture Points, which uses [[Grant (money)|grant]]s from the Brazilian government to provide music technology and education to people living in poor areas of the country's cities.<ref name=rohter/> Gil has since asserted that "you've now got young people who are becoming designers, who are making it into media and being used more and more by television and samba schools and revitalizing degraded neighborhoods. It's a different vision of the role of government, a new role."<ref>{{cite news |first=Larry |last=Rohter |authorlink=Larry Rohter |title=Brazilian Government Invests in Culture of Hip-Hop |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/arts/music/14gil.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |location=[[São Paulo]], [[Brazil]] |date=2007-03-14 |accessdate=2008-03-15 }}</ref> Gil has also expressed interest in a program that will establish an Internet repository of freely downloadable Brazilian music.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Dibbell |first=Julian |authorlink=Julian Dibbell |year=2004 |month=November |title=We Pledge Allegiance to the Penguin |journal=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |volume=12 |issue=11 |url=http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.11/linux.html |accessdate= 2008-03-16}}</ref> Since Gil's appointment to Minister, the department's expenditures have increased by over 50 percent.<ref>{{cite news |first=Marco |last=Werman |title=Gilberto Gil |url=http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/8904 |format=radio |work=[[The World (radio program)|The World]] |publisher=[[BBC World Service]] and [[Public Radio International]] |date=2007-03-22 |accessdate=2008-03-22 }}</ref> |
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In June 2005 |
In June 2005 Gil announced that he had smoked [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] for much of his life. He stated: "I believe that drugs should be treated like pharmaceuticals, legalized, although under the same regulations and monitoring as medicines."<ref name=angus>{{cite web |url=http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/12873 |title=Brazilians Reject Marijuana Legalization |author=Staff |accessdate=2008-03-23 |date=2006-08-22 |work=Angus Reid Global Monitor }}</ref> However, around 79% of Brazilians believe that the drug should not be legalized.<ref name=angus/> |
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==Musical style== |
==Musical style== |
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Revision as of 12:55, 24 April 2008
Gilberto Gil | |
|---|---|
 Gilberto Gil, the Brazilian Minister of Culture | |
| Born | Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira June 26, 1942 |
| Education | BBA, Universidade Federal da Bahia |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Brazilian Minister of Culture |
| Known for | Influential musician in the Tropicalismo movement |
| Political party | Partido Verde |
| Website | http://www.gilbertogil.com.br/ |
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira (born June 26, 1942 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil), better known as Gilberto Gil (IPA: [ʒiu̯berto ʒiu̯]), is a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and the current Brazilian Minister of Culture. Gil has held the post since 2003, although he has declared his intention to resign in 2008 due to a vocal cord polyp.[1] He began his performance career as a bossa nova musician, but soon began writing songs that reflected a new focus on political awareness and social activism. Gil then became a part of the Música Popular Brasileira movement with artists including Caetano Veloso, a longtime collaborator.
He was born in Salvador, and having played music from early in life he joined his first band in the 1950s. He met Caetano Veloso in 1963, and the two began to tour regularly, becoming major figures in the 1960s Tropicalismo movement. Their act was highly political and deemed threatening by the military regime in Brazil; Gil was imprisoned along with Veloso. The two moved to London in the late 1960s after being instructed to leave the country of Brazil. Gil returned to Bahia in 1972, however, continuing his musical career as well as working as an advocate for environmental issues and in politics.
Biography
Early years (1942–1963)
Gil was born to a middle class family in Salvador, a city in the northeast of Brazil. His mother, Claudina Passos Gil Moreira, was a teacher and his father, José Gil Moreira, a doctor.[2] Though he was born in Salvador, Gil spent much of his childhood in nearby Ituaçu. As a child and young adult he was influenced by the northeast Brazilian musical style of forró, but also listened to popular artists like The Beatles on the radio and local street performers.[2][3] He learned how to play several musical instruments: drums at three, trumpet at seven, and vibraphone and accordion as a teenager.[4] Gil moved back to Salvador with his family in his teenage years and joined his first band in the city, Os Desafinados (English: The Out of Tunes). He also settled on guitar as a primary instrument, as it was the one that Brazilian star João Gilberto played.[4]
Musical career (1963–present)
Gil met guitarist and singer Caetano Veloso at the Universidade Federal da Bahia (English: Federal University of Bahia) in 1963 and immediately began collaborating and performing with Veloso.[4] The two, along with Veloso's sister Maria Bethânia, Gal Costa, and Tom Zé, performed bossa nova and traditional Brazilian songs at the Vihla Vehla Theatre's opening night in July 1964.[5] Throughout the early 1960s, however, Gil earned income primarily from composing jingles for television advertisements,[3] though he was briefly employed by the Brazilian division of Unilever, Gessy-Lever.[5] He moved to São Paulo in 1965 and had a hit single when his song "Louvação" (which later appeared on the album of the same name) was released by Elis Regina. In the late 1960s he appeared in performances with and on recordings by the São Paulo psychedelic rock group Os Mutantes.
In February 1969 Gil and Veloso were arrested by the military government of Brazil[1] and spent several months in prison before being freed if they left the country. During his prison sentence, Gil began to meditate, follow a macrobiotic diet, and read about philosophy in Asia.[2] Thereafter, Gil and Veloso relocated to London, England.[2] While staying in London, Gil performed with musical groups including Yes, Pink Floyd and the Incredible String Band.[3]
When he went back to Bahia in 1972, Gil focused on his musical career and environmental advocacy work.[6] That same year, he released Expresso 2222, from which two popular singles were released.[3] In the 1970s he toured the United States and recorded an English-language album. He also worked with Jimmy Cliff and released a cover of "No Woman, No Cry" with him in 1980, a number one hit that introduced reggae to Brazil.[3] Gil continued to release a steady stream of albums throughout the 1970s, including Realce and Refazenda. In the late 1970s, he left Brazil for Africa and visited Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Nigeria.
The musician won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album for Quanta Live and the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album for Eletracústico. In May 2005 he was awarded the Polar Music Prize by Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in Stockholm,[7] the prize's first Latin American recipient. On October 16, 2005 he received the Légion d'honneur from the French government, coinciding with the Année du Brésil en France (English: Brazil's Year in France).[8]
Political career (1987–present)
Gil began his political career in 1987 when he was elected to a local post in Bahia and became the Salvador secretary of culture.[9] After retiring from this position, he ran for mayor in 1988 as a member of the Partido Verde (English: Green Party), won by a large majority, and also became the city's minster for environmental protection. In addition, Gil founded the environmental protection organization Onda Azul (English: Blue Wave) which worked to protect the Brazilian coast against pollution.[4] He maintained a full-time musical career in this period as well and temporarily retired from politics in 1992 having recently released Parabolicamará, considered to be one of his most successful efforts.[2] On October 16, 2001 Gil accepted his nomination to be a Goodwill Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, having also promoted the organization before his appointment.[10]
When President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in January 2003 he chose Gil as Brazil's new Minister of Culture, the second black person to serve in the Cabinet of Brazil. The appointment was controversial among political and artistic figures and the Brazilian press, with a remark Gil made about difficulties with his salary receiving particular criticism.[11] Gil is not a member of the Silva government's Workers' Party and did not participate in creating its cultural program.[11]
Shortly after becoming Minister Gil began a partnership between the country of Brazil and Creative Commons.[12] He also sponsored a program called Culture Points, which uses grants from the Brazilian government to provide music technology and education to people living in poor areas of the country's cities.[12] Gil has since asserted that "you've now got young people who are becoming designers, who are making it into media and being used more and more by television and samba schools and revitalizing degraded neighborhoods. It's a different vision of the role of government, a new role."[13] Gil has also expressed interest in a program that will establish an Internet repository of freely downloadable Brazilian music.[14] Since Gil's appointment to Minister, the department's expenditures have increased by over 50 percent.[15]
In June 2005 Gil announced that he had smoked marijuana for much of his life. He stated: "I believe that drugs should be treated like pharmaceuticals, legalized, although under the same regulations and monitoring as medicines."[16] However, around 79% of Brazilians believe that the drug should not be legalized.[16]
Musical style
Gil typically sings in a baritone, but sometimes shifts to scat singing or falsetto.[17] His lyrical subject matter is diverse, encompassing philosophy, religion, folktales, and wordplay.[17] The style of Gil's music incorporates a broad range of influences. The first music he was exposed to included The Beatles and street performers in various metropolitan areas of Bahia. During his first years as a musician, Gil primarily used a blend of traditional Brazilian styles, such as baião and samba. He states: "My first phase was one of traditional forms. Nothing experimental at all. Caetano [Veloso] and I followed in the tradition of Luiz Gonzaga and Jackson do Pandeiro, combining samba with northeastern music."[18]
As one of the pioneers of Tropicalismo, influences from styles such as rock and roll and punk have been pervasive in his recordings, as they have been in those of other stars of the period, including Caetano Veloso and Tom Zé. After the height of Tropicalismo in the 1960s, Gil became increasingly interested in black culture, particularly in the Jamaican-born musical genre of reggae. He described the genre as "a form of democratizing, internationalizing, speaking a new language, a Heideggerian form of passing along fundamental messages."[19] When he visited a culture festival in Nigeria in 1977, Gil met fellow musicians Fela Kuti, King Sunny Adé, and Stevie Wonder. He became inspired by African music and later integrated some of the styles he had heard in Africa into his own recordings.[4] His 1980s musical repertoire presented an increased development of dance trends, such as disco and soul, as well as the previous incorporation of rock and punk.[19] Still, Gil has been criticized for a conflicting involvement in both authentic Brazilian music and the worldwide moneymaking arena. He has had to walk a fine line, simultaneously remaining true to traditional Bahian styles and engaging with commercial markets. Listeners in Bahia were much more accepting of his blend of music styles, while those in southeast Brazil felt at odds with it.[19]
Discography
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Awards, nominations, and positions
| Year | Work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | N/A | Anchieta Medal—São Paulo City Council | Won |
| 1986 | N/A | The Gold Dolphin—Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro | Won |
| 1990 | N/A | Ordre des Arts et des Lettres—Ministry of Culture of France | Won |
| 1990 | N/A | Commendator of the Rio Branco Order | Won |
| 1997 | N/A | Ordre national du Mérite | Won |
| 1998 | Eletracústico | Grammy Award—Best Contemporary World Music Album | Won |
| 1999 | N/A | Order of Cultural Merit—Ministry of Culture | Won |
| 1999 | N/A | UNESCO Artist for Peace—United Nations | Won |
| 2001 | Eu Tu Eles | Cinema Brazil Grand Prize—Best Music | Nominated |
| 2001 | As Canções De Eu, Tu, Eles | Latin Grammy Award—Brazilian Roots/Regional Album | Won |
| 2001 | N/A | Goodwill Ambassador—Food and Agriculture Organization | Won |
| 2002 | Viva São João! | Passista Trophy—Long Documentary - Best Score | Won |
| 2002 | São João Vivo | Latin Grammy Award—Best Brazilian Roots/Regional Album | Won |
| 2005 | Quanta Live | Grammy Award—Best World Music Album | Won |
| 2005 | N/A | Polar Music Prize | Won |
| 2005 | N/A | Légion d'honneur | Won |
Notes
- ^ Explanations differ on the reason given by the Brazilian government to Veloso and Gil for their imprisonment. Oliver Tepel cites "no stated reason", Carol Brennan, "degrading the national flag and Brazil's anthem"; and Sue Steward, "his oblique lyrics criticising the military dictatorship".
- ^ Different explanations also exist as to the nature of the pair's journey to England, having been described as both forced and voluntary.
References
- ^ The New York Times (2007-11-12). "Gilberto Gil to Resign". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ a b c d Tepel, Oliver (2006-08-07). "Gilberto Gil". The international artist database. culturebase.net. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ a b c d e Skelly, Richard. "Biography". allmusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ a b c d e Brennan, Carol. "Gilberto Gil Biography - Immersed in Rich Cultural Heritage, Jailed Arrested and Sent into Exile, Entered Politics with Green Party". African American Biographies. Net Industries. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ a b Tourneen, Saudades. "Gilberto Gil". Europe Jazz Network. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ Staff (2003-09-01). "Brazil's Gilberto Gil, minister of cool". Reuters via CNN. São Paulo, Brazil. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ Staff (2005-05-04). "Gilberto Gil Receives Polar Music Prize". Associated Press via Billboard. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ Durand, Fabien (2005-10-13). "Cérémonie de remise des insignes de Grand Officier dans l'ordre national de la Légion d'honneur à Gilberto Gil". Culture.fr (in French). Retrieved 2008-03-18.
- ^ Steward, Sue (2003-10-19). "Minister of cool: part one". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ Staff. "Singer Gilberto Gil". FAO Ambassadors Programme. Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
- ^ a b Rohter, Larry (2002-12-31). "A Government Gig For Brazilian Pop Star; Gilberto Gil Becomes Culture Minister, But Not Everyone Sings His Praises". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
- ^ a b Rohter, Larry (2007-03-12). "Gilberto Gil and the politics of music". International Herald Tribune. Salvador, Brazil: The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-03-16.
- ^ Rohter, Larry (2007-03-14). "Brazilian Government Invests in Culture of Hip-Hop". The New York Times. São Paulo, Brazil: The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Dibbell, Julian (2004). "We Pledge Allegiance to the Penguin". Wired. 12 (11). Retrieved 2008-03-16.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Werman, Marco (2007-03-22). "Gilberto Gil" (radio). The World. BBC World Service and Public Radio International. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
- ^ a b Staff (2006-08-22). "Brazilians Reject Marijuana Legalization". Angus Reid Global Monitor. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
- ^ a b Rohter, Larry (1992-11-08). "Gilberto Gil, Bahia's Most Beloved Export". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
- ^ Quinn, Mike (1999-09-17). "Mixing Miami With Copacabana". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
- ^ a b c Béhague, Gerard (2006). "Rap, Reggae, Rock, or Samba: The Local and the Global in Brazilian Popular Music (1985–95)". Latin American Music Review. 27 (1): pp. 79–90.
{{cite journal}}:|pages=has extra text (help); Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help)
External links
- 1942 births
- Afro-Brazilians
- Brazilian male singers
- Brazilian politicians
- Brazilian pop singers
- Brazilian pop guitarists
- Grammy Award winners
- Green politicians
- Légion d'honneur recipients
- Living people
- Música Popular Brasileira singers
- Música Popular Brasileira guitarists
- People from Bahia
- Portuguese-language singers
- Tropicalia singers
- Tropicalia guitarists