Gilberto Gil. one of the inventors of modern Brazilian music, was born on this date, June 26, in 1942. So that makes him another one of those amazing seventy-year-olds who are still at it, like McCartney and Wilson. Quoting from Gil's website: "Rhythms from the northeast of Brazil like the baião, apart from samba and bossa-nova were fundamental in his formation. Using them as a starting point, Gil forged his own music to which he incorporated rock, reggae, funk and rhythms from Bahia such as afoxé. Gil has tackled a wide variety of issues in his lyrics, pertinent to modern reality: from social inequality to the racial question, from African to Oriental culture, from science to religion, among others. The mastership with which Gil explores these subjects makes him one of the greatest Brazilian composer-lyricists."
His influences seem to include every music you can think of. His devotion to causes like the environment and freedom of information have made him a political player, and he's held various governmental positions, from local city councils up to Brazil's Minister of Culture.
But for me, it's all about the music. I have no idea what he's singing—I don't understand Portuguese—but I don't care. That Tropicalia mix of bossa nova and rock and everything else just puts me in the perfect mood. Sometimes his music is loud and brash, more often it's seductive and mercurial. He tends to go places you're not expecting.
Listen!
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