What might a day in Gilberto Gil’s shoes (or bare feet) be like? A native of Sao Paulo, Gil practically invented the hugely influential Tropicalia style, along with his friend Caetano Veloso, only to be threatened and imprisoned by the Brazilian government. Exile to England followed, where he rubbed shoulders with all the then-popular British rock royalty, taking special note of the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. He recorded a very homesick, self-titled album while there, sung in English, featuring slight moments of the psychedelic touches that had defined his earlier work. Gil returned to Brazil revitalized, made a series of genre-spanning albums, and before making the transition to a smoother sound that lacked the soul of his earlier efforts, he recorded this gem, which is singular in its idiosyncrasy and vision. Gil runs the samba-soul-funk sound smack into primal African rhythms from another time and place, as his voice soars freely above the music. Indigenous instruments from Brazil intermingle with phased guitar, clavinet and funky electric bass, while the samba rhythm remains in the shadows, the mastermind behind it all. Samba-funk throwdowns like “Ile Aye” and “Baba Alapala” are balanced out by exquisite ballads (“Aqui Agora”) and percussion-driven numbers that bring to mind a much older, more mysterious Brazil. While Gilberto Gil has recorded several masterpieces, this indescribable journey of a record is one of his crowning achievements.
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