Gilberto Gil

Gilberto Gil (born June 26, 1942) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter, and the country's current Minister of Culture. Gil is best known for his late 1960s tropicalismo recordings, including "Roda", "Lunik 9&

Gilberto Gil (born June 26, 1942) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter, and the country's current Minister of Culture. Gil is best known for his late 1960s tropicalismo recordings, including "Roda", "Lunik 9", and "Domingo No Parque", the latter of which bears striking similarities to "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles. Elis Regina recorded many of his songs.

He began his career as a bossa nova musician, but soon began writing songs that reflected a new focus on political awareness and social activism, along with fellow singer Caetano Veloso. In the 1970s, Gil added new elements of African and North American music to his already broad palette, and continued to release a steady stream of albums, including Realce and Refazenda. João Gilberto recorded Gil's "Eu Vim Da Bahia" ("I Came from Bahia") on his classic João Gilberto LP.