GILBERTO GIL:
THE STRING CONCERT
Featuring
JAQUES MORELENBAUM & BEM GIL
R O Y C E H A L L at U C L A
SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2010
“He played delicate bossa novas, strummed rockers and intricate sambas; he crooned, whispered and whooped, equally at home in the fast patter of a samba or the courvaceous contours of a ballad. Mr. Gil didn’t trumpet his virtuosity. It was offered genially, like his melodies and his undidactic thoughts on love, poetic license and mortality.” – NY Times
Los Angeles, CA - Brazilian Nites Productions proudly presents the Grammy Award winning king of Brazilian music, Gilberto Gil in a performance of sumptuous, acoustic interpretations of his most popular hit songs in Gilberto Gil: The String Concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall, March 20th at 8:00 p.m. Joined by his son Bem Gil on guitars and the critically acclaimed cellist/producer/conductor Jacques Morelenbaum, (who has performed with such luminaries as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and David Byrne) Gil, performs newly imagined versions of works spanning his esteemed musical career of more than four decades. Watch the trio: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FjRaiPoSOA (Estrela)
This one night only, historic LA engagement of the world tour will feature beloved songs from his 40 year songbook, performed acoustically with sonorous cello and guitars and no percussion but the slapping of guitar strings.
As "one of the world's great songwriters” (The New York Times), Gilberto Gil has developed one of the most relevant and renowned careers as a singer, composer and guitar-player in both world and pop music. He caught the world’s attention with bossa nova in the 1950’s, then introduced the Tropicalism genre combining elements from American rock and funk and Caribbean reggae with traditional Brazilian rhythms and jazz harmonies alongside Caetano Veloso. Radically innovative in the music scene, the movement was deeply critical on political and moral levels, and Tropicalism was repressed by the authoritarian political regime and Gil and Caetano were imprisoned and exiled. Gil was an outspoken political cultural leader and at great personal risk criticized Brazil's ruling military junta that came to power in 1964, leading to his imprisonment and exile. He inspired an entire generation of political opposition and secured his fame internationally as well as at home in Brazil.
His extensive and prolific catalogue of work has been covered and recorded by Joao Gilberto, Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Sergio Mendes, Ernie Watts, and Toots Thielmans.
Songs in the line up of the show include:
01 Flora - www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqORf2v-27Q&feature=related
02 Esotérico
03 Banda um
04 Saudade da Bahia
05 Superhomem - a canção
06 Rouxinol
07 Metáfora
08 Chiclete com banana - www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkw5S3ISXIM
09 Das duas uma
10 Quatro coisas 11 Não tenho medo da morte
12 Lamento sertanejo
13 Tenho sêde
14 Panis et circences
15 Estrela
16 Seu olhar
17 Back to black
18 La Renaissance Africaine
19 Babá Alapalá
20 Andar com fé
21 Expresso 2222 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVEZzX214FQ
Gilberto Gil carries out a fundamental role in the constant modernization process of Brazilian popular music via his political and environmental activism as both a musician and a diplomat as minister of culture for Brazil, a post which he has held since 2002. Spearheading this scene for more than 40 years, Gil has had over 30 albums released abroad since 1978, the year of his successful performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, in Switzerland, recorded live. Gil has six gold records, four platinum singles and five million records sold. Every year he tours Europe, North America, Latin America and Japan with his contagious pop music spoken in Portuguese-Brazilian. His music contains a strong rhythmic appeal and melodic richness, as richly textured as its people.
“There is no equivalent to Gilberto Gil in the English speaking world. If you could find someone who mixed the politics of Nelson Mandela, the poetry of Bob Dylan, and was as popular as the Beatles, you still wouldn't be close.” – London Jazz
Rhythms from the northeast of Brazil like the baiao, apart from samba and bossa-nova were fundamental in his formation. Using them as a starting point, Gil forged his own music in which he incorporated rock, reggae, funk and rhythms from Bahia such as afoxe. Gil has tackled a wide variety of issues in his lyrics, pertinent to modern reality: from social inequality to racism; from African to Asian culture; from science to religion, among others. The mastership with which Gil explores these subjects makes him one of the greatest Brazilian composer-lyricists.
For his unflinching creative engagement in bringing to the world the heart and soul of the rich music of Brazil, Gilberto Gil has been honored by several entities and personalities as a unique musical ambassador powered by firm cultural conviction. He has also received many prizes in Brazil and abroad as The Polar Prize in 2005. www.gilbertogil.com.br
Brazilian Nites Productions was created to increase the awareness of Brazilian culture, music, art and dance in quality productions in Southern California. Brazilian Nites Productions has successfully promoted and produced events since 1989 in Los Angeles County and has been working and growing in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Arts Commission for the past 14 years. A scroll from the County of Los Angeles was awarded to them for being the leading producers of Brazilian artists and culture in Southern California. Artists they have presented include: Caetano Veloso, Flora Purim & Airto Moreira, Dori Caymi, Geraldo Azevedo, Tribute to Maestro Moacir Santos, Gal Costa, Olodum, Djavan, Moraes Moreira, Elba Ramalho, Maria Rita, Daniela Mercury, Beth Carvalho among others. Brazilian Nites Productions is headed by Patricia and Gilberto Leao of Burbank.
Gilberto Gil: The String Concert is for all ages. Tickets are $78, $55, $45, $35. $17 student tickets are also available. To purchase tickets and for discount information call (310) 825-2101 or visit www.BrazilianNites.com . Royce Hall is located at 340 Royce Drive on the Campus of UCLA. Parking on site available for a fee. ###