Gilberto Gil Albums (40)
What The Critics Say
As the title of this compilation suggests, it's a collection of songs in which Gilberto Gil shares the stage with other artists. Some of the tracks are well-known, other more obscure. Gil at his best is a brilliant songwriter and singer, which is of course apparent on this album. Most of the 14 tracks here were not written by Gil, and the only thing every song has in common is the presence of Gil's voice. In several cases here the tracks are more representative of Gil's various duet partners' music than with Gil's own, even though several tracks, such as Nação Zumbi's "Macô," Cazuza's "Um Trem Para as Estrelas," and Riachão's "Cada Macaco No Seu Galho," are fantastic pieces of music in themselves. ~ Philip Jandovský, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Throughout his four-decades-plus career as one of Brazil's most popular singers, Gilberto Gil has restlessly sought new avenues of expression, from the heady and fiery psychedelic Tropicalia of the '60s to his 2002 album of Bob Marley covers, Kaya N'Gan Daya. But there was one thing Gil had never attempted until now, an album spotlighting nothing but his voice and guitar. Gil Luminoso is, by its very nature, one of the most intimate recordings he has ever made and, not surprisingly, one of the loveliest and most moving. Gil's tender, placid voice and understated guitar work project much warmth and soulfulness, and despite the lack of accompaniment it's as whole as any music he's made before. Gil, Brazil's Minister of Culture at the time of this recording, reached into his considerable songbook for 15 songs that would be apropos for solo presentation, and chose material from as far back as the late '60s: romantic, spiritual, political, philosophical. It's quintessential Gil, at his finest, sans help. This CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for Best Contemporary World Music Album. ~ Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
'Eletrácustico'
Release Date 1/1/2004
Tracks 14
Label Warner Music Latina
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What The Critics Say
Eletracústico is a live recording from Gilberto Gil's 2004 world tour of the same name. It is also the first album that Gil has released since he was named the culture minister of Brazil in 2002. There are already several live recordings with Gil on the market -- most of which have added very little, in terms of quality, to his rich album catalog. Typically, the live albums repeat the songs from his most recent studio album, together with some of Gil's older hits -- all with an inferior sound quality compared to the studio versions. Eletracústico, however, is different. Although it doesn't present any new compositions, it still has a vitality and crispness that make it the best live album Gil has released to date. Apart from nice versions of some of Gil's own hits, such as "Refavela," "Andar Com Fé," and "Aquele Abraço," there are fine interpretations of songs by other artists, such as John Lennon's "Imagine," Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds," and Chico Buarque's "A Rita." Gil's studio efforts are more often than not a bit too uneven to be entirely enjoyable, and Eletracústico therefore works especially well as a kind of "best-of" collection, recorded live. ~ Philip Jandovský, All Music Guide
'Kaya N'Gan Daya: Ao Vivo'
Release Date 7/15/2003
Tracks 17
Label Som Livre
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'Z: 300 Anos de Zumbi'
Release Date 10/15/2002
Tracks 10
Label Lightyear
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What The Critics Say
Gilberto Gil, recently named as Brazil's minister of culture, has always trodden a very individual path in Brazilian music. But even by his own standards, this is an unusual work. The Zumbi of the title is a Brazilian hero. He founded Palmares Quilombo, a place in Brazil where escaped and freed slaves could live as they had in Africa. Until closed by the Portuguese, Palmares Quilombo lasted almost 100 years. Z is a celebration of the man, conceived as a ballet, celebrating the 300th anniversary of Zumbi. The music here is actually a collaboration between Gil, the great songwriter and musician Carlinhos Brown, and Rodolfo Stroter, who was musical director for the project (however, the album appears under Gil's name). While Gil had some musical themes prior to the sessions -- a grand total of three days was allowed to record the music -- much was created in the studio. There's a definite air of spontaneity about tracks like "Chamada" and "Oracao," with a very apt Afro-Brazilian tone underlying everything, although the harmonies and melodies laid on top often sound distinctly modern. Gil's vocals -- he essentially plays the part of a "primitive leader" on the disc -- were improvised throughout, although by now he's a consummate enough performer that it's frequently hard to tell they were thoroughly rehearsed beforehand. Gil takes center stage, but Brown is all very much in evidence, singing and playing some remarkable percussion. An odd outing, more for Gil completists than any casual fan. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
'Kaya N'Gan Daya'
Release Date 7/9/2002
Tracks 16
Label WEA International
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What The Critics Say
Perhaps no one in the world outside Jamaica is better equipped to perform a Bob Marley tribute than Gilberto Gil. The two are very nearly equals; Gil meant as much to residents of Brazil as Marley did to Jamaicans -- even though popularity in Brazil means competing in a very crowded field. Gil is also an exact contemporary of Marley's (he is three years older, but began recording at the same time) and, like Marley, arrived at a distinctive sound only after years of working in the local vernacular. (For Marley it was ska and rocksteady, while for Gil it was bossa nova and samba.) He does owe a debt of gratitude to Bob Marley, however, for it was Marley's global stardom during the '70s that enabled Gil to begin making an impact overseas (especially in Africa). For Kaya N'Gan Daya, his second tribute album in two years (after the Luiz Gonzaga songbook Me, You, Them), Gil astonishingly supplants the formidable personality of Bob Marley and interprets his songs with a strength and vitality that would've found any of his contemporaries lacking. Though he traveled to Tuff Gong studios and worked with the seminal backing vocal group the I-Threes (including Marley's wife, Rita), Gil kept his own band, and they prove their resilience by never deserting their Brazilian focus. Bassist Arthur Maia has a command of the low frequencies that certainly evokes the rocksteady rhythms of reggae, but there isn't much else that sounds Jamaican, besides a sense of space and swing to the arrangements common to many South American forms. The only caveat to Kaya N'Gan Daya is Gil's inability to summon the rebel authority necessary for the classic protest songs "One Drop," "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)," and "Rebel Music." He certainly makes up for it, though, on his versions of lighter material like "Positive Vibration," "Three Little Birds," and the title track (each of which could easily be a Gil composition). In the end, it's largely because Gilberto Gil and Bob Marley meet as equals that Gil is able to take on the difficult task of paying tribute to one of the most important artists of the 20th century. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'São João Vivo'
Release Date 6/5/2001
Tracks 16
Label WEA International
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What The Critics Say
São João Vivo is the live version of As Canções de Eu Tu Eles, the Brazilian popular music legend Gilberto Gil's fine homage to Luiz Gonzaga and forro. This is basically the same album, though of course recorded live. Compared to the studio album, a few additional tracks have been added. Perhaps the most welcome of those tracks is Anastácia's romantic "Só Quero um Xodó," which Gil recorded with great success in the '70s. Gil also presents a different version of his own "Toda Menina Bahiana," another very fine '70s hit of his. To sum it up, though, São João Vivo is indeed a nice, enjoyable live album, but it is basically unnecessary for anyone who already owns the studio album As Canções de Eu Tu Eles. ~ Philip Jandovský, All Music Guide
'Gilberto Gil (Frevo Rasgado)'
Release Date 4/24/2001
Tracks 11
Label Philips
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What The Critics Say
Gilberto Gil's second album is packed with some of the best songs of his career -- jubilant pop extravaganzas like "Domingo No Parque," "Pega a Voga, Cabeludo," and "Frevo Rasgado" that were equally inspired by the irresistible, brassy bombast of Carnaval and intelligent rock & roll from America and Britain. Even more than the other tropicalistas, though, Gil blends his rock and native influences seamlessly, resulting in songs like "Êle Falava Nisso Todo Dia" that chart an intriguing fusion of Brazilian and British Invasion (before he breaks into Portuguese for the first verse, the intro sounds exactly like a few early Rolling Stones productions). Gil's occasional backing band, the teenage tropicalia breakouts known as Os Mutantes, join in on the feel-good Brazilian pop anthem "Domingou." Enjoyable and never as experimental as his work would soon become, Gilberto Gil 1968 is one of the best tropicalia albums ever released. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This excellent CD finds Gilberto Gil killing two birds with one stone -- he provides the soundtrack for a Brazilian film (Me, You, Them), and he also pays tribute to the seminal Luiz Gonzaga. Often described as the father of baião, Gonzaga was among Brazil's most influential artists of the 20th century; his innovations had a major impact on tropicalismo and forró (two styles that have flourished in the northeastern part of the country). Gil, of course, is quite influential himself, and the fact that Gonzaga is among his primary influences tells you how important the father of baião was. Me, You, Them isn't a documentary on Gonzaga, although Gil felt that Gonzaga's songs would be perfect for the film. So much of the CD finds Gil providing remakes of Gonzaga classics, including "Asa Branca," "Juazeiro," "Assum Preto," and "Qui Nem Jiló." However, many of the songs weren't written by Gonzaga; Gil wrote a few new songs especially for the movie ("As Pegados do Amor" and "O Amor Daqui de Casa"), and the vibrant "Esperando Na Janela" (a major hit in Brazil in 2000) isn't a Gonzaga composition, either. Even if you've never seen the 1959 film The Black Orpheus, you can still appreciate the classic Luiz Bonfa gems that graced the soundtrack -- and similarly, the Me, You, Them soundtrack paints an attractive picture of Gil's artistry whether or not you've seen the movie. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
