live at sunset

This evening several hundred (or thousand?) spectators and I braved unseasonably chilly temperatures (14C!) to see Gilberto Gil at Live at Sunset, which is supposed to be an outdoor summer concert series in the courtyard of he Landesmuseum. With a career spanning four decades, and music incorporating all sorts of Brazilian styles and rhythms, Gilberto Gil is a renowned and beloved Brazilian musician, composer, lyricist, artist, Grammy winner, and, now, politician. Political repression during the military dictatorship forced him and other politically outspoken Brazilian artists into exile in the late 60's. He returned in the 70's, continued doing his thing, and is now Brazil's Minister of Culture, but uses his month-long vacation to tour Europe each summer. At over 60, he's still going strong, and he charmed the audience by singing, dancing, playing the guitar and smiling his way through a two hour set, as well as interacting with the public in English, Portuguese, and French.


Unlike most other concerts where recording and photography are strictly prohibited, Gilberto Gil actively encourages it on his 'BroadBand' tour. He is interested in promoting digital technology and the internet as a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing concert experiences, interacting with fans, and sharing music. He tells spectators to use cell phones, cameras, etc. to record and photograph whatever they want during his performances, and under Creative Commons licensing, people are free to use these recordings for personal use and/or to create their own versions or remixes of his music. He also encourages people to upload any photos, videos, music and comments to his website, which also includes a blog of his tour. Had I known all of this before the show, I would have taken my good camera rather than my little point & shoot.



By the way, the guitar player in the background is his son, Bem Gil. A few more pictures here.