Gilberto Gil (born 26 June, 1942) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist and song… Read Full Bio ↴Gilberto Gil (born 26 June, 1942) is a Brazilian singer, guitarist and songwriter, and Brazil's former minister of culture.

He began his career as a bossa nova musician, but soon began writing songs that reflected a new focus on political awareness and social activism, along with fellow singer Caetano Veloso. In the 1970s, Gil added new elements of African and North American music to his already broad palette, and continued to release a steady stream of albums, including Realce and Refazenda. João Gilberto recorded Gil's "Eu Vim da Bahia" ("I Came from Bahia") on his classic João Gilberto LP.

In 1969, Gil and Veloso, whose status in Brazil was, and is, equivalent to that of John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the English-speaking world, were arrested by the military government of Brazil for anti-government activities. Upon their release, the pair both moved to London. Gil began playing with groups like Yes, Pink Floyd and The Incredible String Band, while continuing his solo career. In the 1970s, he toured the US and recorded an English-language album. He worked with Jimmy Cliff and released in 1980 a cover of "No Woman, No Cry" (Bob Marley & the Wailers) that was a massive hit and introduced reggae to Brazil.

Gil continued recording, performing and involving himself in various social causes, and was eventually elected a city councillor in his home town Salvador in 1989. His 1993 album with Caetano Veloso, Tropicália 2, featured a cover of a Jimi Hendrix song, "Wait Until Tomorrow", and is regarded as one of his finest efforts since the late 1960s.

When President Lula da Silva took office in January 2003, he chose Gil to serve as Brazil's new Minister of Culture, a post he held until 2008. While minister, Gil released his songs "Refazenda", "Rebento" and "Refavela" under the Creative Commons Sampling License.

In May 2005 Gil was awarded the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the first Latin American recipient of the annual award, which was given to him by the King of Sweden. Gil also performed four songs in an outdoors concert the day before the award show and again at the show with only two songs, accompanied by Jimmy Cliff.

In September 2005 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur from the French Government. This coincided with the Année du Brésil en France (Brazil's Year in France).

His daughter Preta Gil is also a musician.

Assum Preto
Gilberto Gil Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tudo em vorta é só beleza
Sol de Abril e a mata em frô
Mas Assum preto, cego dos óio
Num vendo a luz, ai, canta de dor

Tudo em vorta é só beleza
Sol de Abril e a mata em frô
Mas Assum preto, cego dos óio

Num vendo a luz, ai, canta de dor

Tarvez por ignorança
Ou mardade das pió
Furaro os óio do Assum preto
Pra ele assim, ai, cantá de mió

Tarvez por ignorança
Ou mardade das pió
Furaro os óio do Assum preto
Pra ele assim, ai, cantá de mió

Assum preto veve sorto
Mas num pode avuá
Mil vezes a sina de uma gaiola
Desde que o céu, ai, pudesse oiá

Assum preto veve sorto
Mas num pode avuá
Mil vezes a sina de uma gaiola
Desde que o céu, ai, pudesse oiá

Assum preto, o meu cantar
É tão triste como o teu

Também roubaro o meu amor
Que era a luz, ai, dos óios meu

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Gilberto Gil's song Assum Preto describe the beauty of the April sun and blooming nature, but amidst this beauty is the sad image of a black bird named Assum Preto who is blind and sings a mournful song. The lyrics suggest that Assum Preto's blindness may be due to the ignorance or cruelty of others who blinded him in order to hear him sing better, which is a metaphor for the troubling state of society that values superficial beauty at the cost of music with depth and meaning. The bird also represents the lack of freedom and confinement, as it cannot fly freely despite being alive. The singer identifies with the bird's sadness, as his love has also been stolen from him, leaving him in darkness.

Line by Line Meaning

Tudo em vorta é só beleza
Everything around is so beautiful

Sol de Abril e a mata em frô
April sun and flowers in the forest

Mas Assum preto, cego dos óio
But Assum Preto, blind in his eyes

Num vendo a luz, ai, canta de dor
Cannot see the light, and sings of pain

Tarvez por ignorança
Perhaps out of ignorance

Ou mardade das pió
Or cruelty of the worst kind

Furaro os óio do Assum preto
They pierced the eyes of Assum Preto

Pra ele assim, ai, cantá de mió
For him to sing better, they thought

Assum preto veve sorto
Assum Preto lived free

Mas num pode avuá
But he couldn't fly

Mil vezes a sina de uma gaiola
A thousand times the fate of a cage