When Brazil becomes more than a Travel Destination
Gilberto Gil's Farewell Tour 'Aquele Abraço' |
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Gilberto Gil with full band in Cirque Royal on October 23, 2023
FACT - Did you know? Gilberto Gil, whose full name is Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira, is a highly influential Brazilian musician, singer, and songwriter. Gilberto Gil was born on June 26, 1942, in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. He grew up in a musical family and began playing the accordion at a young age. In the late 1960s, Gilberto Gil was a central figure in the Tropicália movement, a cultural and musical movement in Brazil that blended traditional Brazilian music with international influences, incorporating elements of rock, pop, and avant-garde. ...Gil's musical career is marked by a diverse range of genres, including bossa nova, samba, reggae, forró, and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira). He has released numerous albums, showcasing his versatility and innovation in Brazilian music. In addition to his musical contributions, Gilberto Gil has been involved in political activism. During the military dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985), he faced persecution and imprisonment for his political beliefs. In 2003, Gilberto Gil was appointed as the Minister of Culture in Brazil under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. He held this position until 2008 and worked to promote cultural diversity and access to culture in the country. Gilberto Gil's influence extends beyond Brazil, and he is recognized internationally. He has collaborated with musicians from various countries, contributing to the global appreciation of Brazilian music. Some of Gilberto Gil's popular songs include "Aquele Abraço","Toda Menina Baiana," and "Refavela." His music often carries social and political messages, reflecting his engagement with the cultural and political landscape. Gilberto Gil has received multiple Grammy Awards for his musical work, contributing to the global recognition of Brazilian music. Known as a cultural ambassador for Brazil, Gilberto Gil continues to perform and contribute to the preservation and evolution of Brazilian musical traditions. Gilberto Gil's career spans several decades, and his innovative approach to music has left an everlasting mark on Brazilian culture. His contributions extend beyond the realm of music, encompassing political and cultural activism. Gilberto Gil on tour with 'Aquele Abraço'The Brazilian singer and composer Gilberto Gil did come to Belgium to perform a special show during the autumn of 2023. He did bring his revolutionary music full of exciting rhythms and melodious strings to the Cirque Royal in Brussels on October 23, 2023. His concert was a celebration of Gil's sixty-year career which started in the 1950s, with the accordion by his side. His early songs explored a folk-country sound and in the late 1950s he got inspired by João Gilberto and started to be influenced by bossa nova. He had exchanged his accordion for the guitar, and later on the electric guitar, which continues to colour his work until this day. Gilberto Gil quickly grew into an adventurous, experimental daredevil and an exuberant singing master musician. The multiple Grammy winner is one of the pioneers of the Brazilian cultural movement Tropicália which merged Brazilian and African rhythms with British and American psychedelic and pop rock. Tropicália is a generation of musicians, including Caetano Veloso, who expressed their dissatisfaction with the Brazilian dictatorship in the mid-1960s. Due to his socially-moved songs, Gil even had to move to London in 1969 under pressure from the military regime. But he came back strong. Back in Brazil Gilberto Gil continued his rich musical career which led to the recording of over sixty albums, millions of sales and nine Grammys. Between 2003 and 2008 he even became Minister of Culture in Brazil under President Lula da Silva. He began his involvement in representing Brazil around the world, particularly on cultural development and diversity and the importance of Latin American countries in a globalised world. In 2015 and 2016, he celebrated his 50-year career with Caetano Veloso in a historic show 'Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música'. In 2018, he released the album "Ok Ok Ok" about his family and the illness he was going through. The album won the Best Brazilian Music Album Latin Grammy in November 2019. A central focus in Gil's life is his family, who, just like him, developed into talented musicians. In 2022 Gil toured Europe, celebrating his 80th birthday with the entire family on stage and backstage. The tour was filmed for the second season of the Amazon Prime series which did air in 2023 'Travelling with The Gils'. Gilberto Gil is celebrating 60 years in the music business, more than 50 of which have been spent touring the world. He has won 9 Grammy Awards, has been named 'Artist of Peace by UNESCO and UN Ambassador for Food and Agriculture', and has received numerous decorations and prizes, including the 'Legion of Honour' of France and the 'Polar Prize' for Music of the Year, awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. In 2021, he was awarded two more titles: 'Doctor Honoris Causa ' by the University of Berklee and 'Immortal' by the Brazilian Academy of Letters. On 31 October 2023 the NOVA University in Lisbon did award the title of 'Doctor Honoris Causa' to Gilberto Gil and did recognize his extraordinary contribution to international culture and the legacy he has left behind over several decades. Lovers of the Brazilian anthem have loved Gilberto Gil for more than fifty years. The unique guitar playing of the Brazilian folk hero is the 'missing link' between bossa nova, funk and reggae, with which he continues to move audiences worldwide. His musical farewell to Brussels appeared to be an unforgettable concert not to be missed! | ||||||||
Gilberto Gil in BrusselsGilberto Gil gave an unforgettable show at the Cirque Royal in Brussels on October 23, 2023. He was funny, interacted with the audience and by the end of the night he got the full crowd dancing. |
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