Gilberto Gil

Born in Salvador de Bahia in 1942 and partly raised in Ituaçu, Gilberto Gil has moved through several currents of Brazilian music since the 1960s — from bossa nova and samba to baião, forró, reggae, rock and MPB. Initially active on the Salvador scene before settling between São Paulo and Rio, he helped inspire the emergence of Tropicalismo alongside Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Tom Zé and Os Mutantes, becoming one of its central voices by the end of the decade. His writing blends popular references from the Nordeste, Afro-Brazilian culture, acoustic songcraft and more electric or syncopated forms. This trajectory is evident from Louvação (1967) and continues through Gilberto Gil (1968), Expresso 2222 (1972), Refazenda (1975), Refavela (1977), Realce (1979) and Quanta (1997). Arrested by Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1968, he was forced into exile in London — a period that broadened his approach, notably toward reggae and the exchanges between Brazilian, African and Caribbean musics. Over the decades Gilberto Gil alternated solo projects, collaborations with Jorge Ben, Milton Nascimento and Caetano Veloso, international tours and more stripped-down formats, up to OK OK OK in 2018. His career also includes public service: he served as Brazil’s Minister of Culture from 2003 to 2008.