Gilberto Gil reflects on exile, tropicalism, and political engagement in extensive interview

artist · 2026-04-23

Gilberto Gil, the Brazilian musician and former Minister of Culture, gave a wide-ranging interview covering his life and career. In 1969, he was forced into exile in London due to political pressures, returning in 1972. He discussed the tropicalismo movement, his collaborations with figures like Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Maria Bethânia, and Rogério Duprat, and his experiences abroad, including performing at the Isle of Wight Festival and meeting Jimi Hendrix. Gil reflected on his political career, serving as a municipal secretary and councilor in Salvador and later as Minister of Culture under President Lula. He addressed criticism from figures like Augusto Boal, his arrest for marijuana possession in 1975, and his advocacy for drug legalization. The interview also touched on his musical evolution, family life, and views on Brazil's future. He performed in New York in 1971 with an installation by Hélio Oiticica. Gil remains active, with no plans for artistic retirement.

Key facts

Gilberto Gil was exiled from Brazil in 1969, returning in 1972.
He was a key figure in the tropicalismo movement alongside Caetano Veloso.
He served as Brazil's Minister of Culture under President Lula.
He was arrested for marijuana possession in Florianópolis in 1975.
He performed at the Isle of Wight Festival and met Jimi Hendrix in 1969.
He collaborated with musician Jorge Benjor on the 1975 album 'Gil & Jorge, Ogum/Xangô'.
His 1971 New York performance featured an environment by Hélio Oiticica.
He advocates for the legalization of marijuana as a public health issue.

Entities

Artists

Gilberto Gil
Caetano Veloso
Maria Bethânia
Gal Costa
Rogério Duprat
Augusto Boal
Tom Zé
Torquato Neto
Capinam
Jorge Benjor
Hélio Oiticica
Walter Smetak
André Luíz de Oliveira
Rogério Duarte
Nara Gil
Pedro Gil
Preta Gil
Bem Gil
Bento Gil
Narinha Gil
Arthur Maia
Cláudio Prado
Gustavo
Pedrinho
Martine
Airto Moreira
Jimi Hendrix
Miles Davis
Brian Jones
John Lennon
Bob Dylan
The Who
Lulu Santos
Raul Seixas
Rita Lee
Cazuza
Os Paralamas
Ivan Cardoso
Yuli Yamagata
Darks Miranda
Flávia Metzler
Maria Noujaim
Francisco Brennand
José Cláudio
Cao Guimarães
Marcelo Silveira
Montez Magno
Mari Ra
Zé di Cabeça
Fabio Miguez
Adenor Gondim
Luciano Feijão
Júlio Bittencourt
Marlene Barros
Claudia Alarcón
Deborah Paiva
Nuno Ramos
Marcos Amaro
Rafael Hayashi
Lázaro Roberto
Ivald Granato
Felipe Rezende
Andrea Brazil
Thalita Hamaoui
Rogério Medeiros
Flavia Renault
Belony Ferreira
Mestre Didi
Paulo Pedro Leal
Anna Atkins
Elizabeth B. Brownell
Eslanda Cardozo Goode Robeson
Annette Messager
Angèle Etoundi Essamba
Hiromix
Claudia Andujar
Maureen Bisilliat
Gretta Sarfaty
Vilma Slomp
Claudia Jaguaribe
Anna Mariani
Stefania Bril
Georg Heinrich von Langsdorff
Ludwig Riedel
Néster Rubtsov
Aimé-Adrien Taunay
Hercule Florence
Wilhelmine von Langsdorff
Lalo de Almeida
Paula Sampaio
Miguel Chikaoka
João Pompeu
Abdias Nascimento

Institutions

Ministério da Cultura
Secretaria Municipal de Cultura de Salvador
Câmara dos Vereadores de Salvador
Universidade Federal da Bahia
CBS
Rolling Stone
O Estado de S. Paulo
Folk City
Festival de Jazz de Montreux
Editora L&PM Pocket
Electric Ladyland
Galeria Galatea
Nara Roesler
Museu de Arte do Espírito Santo (MAES)
Movimento Grevista Negro
Sesc Sorocaba
CAIXA Cultural São Paulo
MASP
Janaina Torres Galeria
FAMA Museu
IMS - Instituto Moreira Salles
10x10 Photobooks
Simões de Assis
Galeria Estúdio Reverso
NONADA SP
DAN Galeria
Casa de Cultura do Parque
Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin - USP
Instituto Hercule Florence
Documenta Pantanal
Centro Maria Antônia da USP
Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF)
Fonte
Carmo Johnson Projects
Itaú Cultural
Pina Luz
Centro de Pesquisa e Formação do Sesc
Ilê Asipá
Getty Research Institute
Museo Reina Sofía
Rijksmuseum
New York Public Library
Paris Photo
Livraria da Travessa
El Espacio 23
Coleção Jorge M. Pérez
Arena
Quarteto Novo
Beat Boys
Mutantes
Doces Bárbaros
Bolha
Agência Nacional do Cinema e do Audiovisual (Ancinav)
Midiateca Capixaba
Secretaria da Cultura (Secultes)
Fundo de Cultura do Estado do Espírito Santo (Funcultura)
Política Nacional Aldir Blanc (PNAB)
Ministério da Cultura (MINC)
Governo do Brasil
Phi Projetos
Cinnamon
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Belo Horizonte (CCBB BH)
Ateliê Marlene Barros
Ponto de Cultura Coletivo ZBM
Universidade de Aveiro
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Programa de Pós-graduação em Artes
Instituto de Cultura Contemporânea (ICCo)
Lei Rouanet
banco BV
Laranjinha
Banco Itaú
Serviço de Repressão à Mendicância
Império Russo
Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
PGHEA-MAC/USP

Locations

Brazil
Salvador
Bahia
São Paulo
Rio de Janeiro
London
United Kingdom
Switzerland
Santos Dumont
Marginal Pinheiros
Porto Feliz
Mato Grosso
Grão-Pará
Ilha de Wight
Nova York
United States
Paris
France
Germany
Kensington Park Road
Alemanha
Tóquio
Japan
Mumbai
India
Pequim
China
Jacarta
Indonesia
Algarve
Portugal
Santo Antônio da Patrulha
Rio Grande do Sul
Recife
Pernambuco
Olinda
Zona Leste
Vitória
Espírito Santo
Sorocaba
Capela João de Camargo
Clube 28 de Setembro
Monumento Pelourinho
Monumento à Mãe Preta
Belo Horizonte
Minas Gerais
La Puntana
Argentina
Gran Chaco
Paraguay
Campo Grande
Itu
Fortaleza
Ceará
Los Angeles
Madri
Spain
Amsterdã
Netherlands
Miami
Florianópolis
Santa Catarina
Santiago
Aveiro
Porto
Alto de Pinheiros
Vila Madalena
Bela Vista
Bom Retiro
Jardim Paulista
Vila Nova Conceição
Centro
Cidade Universitária
Jardim Faculdade
Funcionários
Barra Funda
Boaçava
Amazonas
Pantanal
Tietê
Guandu
Recôncavo Baiano
Ilha de Itaparica

Sources

ARTE!Brasileiros — 2018-05-16