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| Gilberto Gil |
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| March 15, 2007 • Massey Hall • Toronto |
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| Report by Amanda Martinez |
It seemed as though all of the Brazilian community and Brazilian Canadian music lovers were gathered at Massey Hall on March 15th, anticipating the music of Gilberto Gil. Recognized as a world-class guitarist, singer, and composer in both pop and world music, his performance was spellbinding. Performing with only his guitar, his velvet voice drew the crowd in the moment he took the stage.
Gil’s repertoire on Thursday evening featured his well-known original compositions including “Exoterico”, “Aquele AbraÇo” as well as a bolero by Mexican composer Agustin Lara and “Don’t Worry be Happy”. He received a standing ovation for his well known Portuguese interpretation of Bob Marley’s “No woman no cry”.
To those who speak Portuguese, much of Gil’s brilliance is in the beauty of his lyrics. He played the song “Metaphoro”, explaining in English that it is about the play between the worlds of poetry and imagination with reality.
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Gilberto brought new meaning to the Beatles song “When I am 64”, incorporating Bossa Nova rhythms. He explained that his Mother is still living and never expected to reach the age of 93 while Gilberto is now 64. In his senior years, Gil is in control of both his flawless guitar playing and resonant voice ranging from husky low tones to pure high notes.
Gil explained how in the late ’60s he and his close friend Caetano Veloso, along with a handful of others in São Paulo, started the movement known as Tropicalismo, which blended avant-garde poetry, pop influences and traditional music. During Brazil’s military dictatorship he and Veloso were sent into exile, living in the UK and Paris. Gil said at that time there were posters at the airport reading “Brazil – love it or leave it” and wrote and performed a song with the same name, paying tribute to his country.
As the Minister of Culture for the last four years, Gil has been bringing increasing international attention to Brazilian music, visual art, and film but has had to cut back on his own performances and recording. His one man performance in Toronto was a rare occasion which we will treasure.
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Gil’s most recent disc, “Gil Luminoso,” is a collection of 15 of his songs, including “Electronic Brain,” that he re-recorded in 1999 with just voice and guitar, to accompany a book that was published about him.
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Amanda Martinez is a singer and actress, she is the host and producer of Café Latino, heard on JAZZFM91 (Saturdays 4–6 p.m. on 91.1 FM)
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