Gilberto Gil, Brazilian minister of Culture and music superstar

Born in 1942 in Brazil, Gilberto Gil has become one of the most famous singers and musicians in Brazil but also all over the world. His music is a mixture of all the musical influences that his country has to offer. Thus listening to his music takes one through different moods, and different rhythms, such as samba, funk, reggae or other Caribbean sounds which belong to MPB (Brazilian popular music). He grew up listening to the duels of “violeros” which is a kind of improvised musical battle between blind singers and guitar players, but he has also been influenced by street bands, or by local music played on the radio. He started to learn the guitar by the end of the fifties, in order to play and sing Bossa Nova; music that he discovered by listening to João Gilberto on the radio.

His music is not only interesting for its rhythm, but also because of the lyrics. Gilberto Gil brings up social issues such as discrimination against black people, or women’s rights, but he also discusses more spiritual matters, such as love, nature, religion or music.

He feels concerned by social issues. That is probably because he was jailed in 1968 for several months by his country’s military dictatorship due to his support for Tropicalia, an anti-establishment movement which threatened the dictatorship, but also because of his lyrics, which criticize it. After his detention, he was forced to leave Brazil for two years.

It was in January 2003 that Gilberto Gil started his mandate as Minister of culture for the Lula administration. Lula’s government is the first left wing government voted in by Brazilians since more than four decades. Thus, for almost three years, Gilberto Gil shuttled from diplomacy to music and from music back to diplomacy. He works on his duty as a minister during the day, and performs at night. The most admirable is that he succeeds in both. In October 2005, he was decorated in France as an officer of the “Legion d’Honneur” for his exceptional career as an artist but also as a minister of culture. He has thrown all his determination into the establishment of a real cultural diversity, and he deserved to be recognized. We may now wonder if he has had as much time for his music since 2003, and if his responsibilities as a political personality do not monopolize all his time. As he says, since the beginning of his mandate, he has not really had the time to write many songs, but music still plays a huge role in his life. He still performs everywhere in the world, and only this year, he has performed 22 gig tours. The man’s life is very highly organized, around his yoga in the morning, his work as a minister during the day and his music at night. He has been very much in evidence in France this year as it is the Year of Brazil in this country.

In 1985, France began a series of cultural seasons honouring foreign countries with a lot of artistic events. Twenty years later, Brazil is in the spotlight. The organization of that current project of Brazil’s cultural year in France started in 2001. Called “Brazil, Brazils” to allude to Brazilian diversity, it has been running officially from March to December all over France. Initially raised by the French authorities, the proposal was immediately welcomed by Brazil, for “the two countries had always had similarities and a strong historical relationship”, according to Gilberto Gil. Their relationship has never been focused on colonial domination, and they also have a common border along the river Oyapock, in Guyana. Presenting 400 different projects organized in three stages, this plan aims at sorting out the cultural wealth of the huge Latin American country concerning music, dance, and arts. This cultural year is more than a mere exhibition of Brazilian culture. For instance, Gilberto Gil pointed out that culture and economics go hand in hand. " The Year of Brazil in France goes beyond culture. It branches out into politics, business, science and technology. We want to show a Brazil that is contemporary, a modern Brazil," declared the minister. Combining diversity and modernity: that’s the main theme of this ambitious project.

Marion Martinelli and Emilie Gay