Musician and former Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil critiques the dismantling of Brazil’s cultural policies under Bolsonaro

Brazilian music legend Gilberto Gil has long been celebrated for his wide-ranging musical talents, with over 50 albums spanning samba, rock, funk, bossa nova, reggae, and more, including his pivotal role in the tropicália movement of the 1960s. Known for his versatile sound and political activism, Gil has performed on grand stages such as the United Nations, where, in 2003, he joined then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a memorable performance of his 1979 hit, “Toda Menina Baiana.”

His political journey took a significant turn in the 1980s when he became a city councillor in Salvador, later becoming Brazil’s Minister of Culture under President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva in 2003. As minister, Gil championed a cultural policy that embraced local traditions and the creative arts, a term hailed by composer Luiz Antônio Simas as a model for cultural governance. However, the ministry was disbanded in 2019 when the far-right government of Jair Bolsonaro took office, slashing funding and demonizing the sector. Now, at 80, while on a European tour, Gil reflects on these challenges and expresses his discontent with the current state of Brazil’s cultural policies.