Gilberto Gil

Brazil, 1963–now

Brazilian singer-songwriter (b. 1942). Veloso's partner in Tropicalia, jailed and exiled with him, and the one who brought reggae and West African rhythm into Brazilian pop; he later served as Brazil's Minister of Culture.

MusicRoots documents 3 artists who influenced Gilberto Gil and 0 artists Gilberto Gil influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Gilberto Gil?

• Joao Gilberto — Gil took his name for the guitar from Joao Gilberto's bossa nova before he set out to break it open.
• The Beatles — The Beatles' pop is the foreign element Tropicalia insisted on swallowing.
• Jimi Hendrix — Hendrix's electric guitar is the sound that made Tropicalia scandalous to the Brazilian left.