On stage with Gilberto Gil

 Source: www.maganews.com.br

Special Interview

On stage with Gilberto Gil

He always attracts large audiences wherever he plays in the world. At the end of May Gil was in São José dos Campos-SP  and Maganews chatted to him on the stage, just before the show began

Gilberto Gil is happy, in a good mood, and in fine trim. In 2008 he left his post as Minister of Culture and began a tour to showcase his new album, “Banda Larga Cordel” – and also to play his older hits. Maganews watched him rehearse with his band, just a few hours before he began his gig at SESC in São José dos Campos.  The rehearsal lasted about an hour and a half.  Gil stood up throughout, singing and playing without stopping. When the rehearsal was over, he could have had a rest for a while before the two-hour gig started. But Gil remained on his feet up on the stage to talk to a group of journalists. Gil showed no signs of being tired. On June 26^th he will be 67 years old, but he seems to have the vitality of a 30-year-old. Maganews asked him two questions:

Maganews – You have written some of the biggest hits in MPB, played shows all over the world, won a Grammy, been privileged to play a gig at the UN and you have even been a Minister. What is left for you to achieve?

Gilberto Gil – I don’t think there is anything left.

Maganews – Don’t you have any more dreams to fulfill?

Gilberto Gil – My dream has always been to live well. I have never been ambitious. I just had ambitions to do good work in music. All I want is to keep on working in this area. Music is my greatest muse. It inspires me. I don’t want to be a politician. I don’t want to be number one. Why being number one? I don’t want to be a formula one driver. As long as I have my voice and energy, I will keep on singing, writing and playing.

Áudio - Michelle Robinson and Thiago Santos Ribeiro

(Obs - Gil concedeu a entrevista para Maganews, em cima do palco, mas em português. No estúdio, o professor Thiago "interpretou", em inglês, a fala de Gil)

Leia a matéria completa sobre Gilberto Gil (incluindo sua trajetória em quatro décadas de carreira) na edição de junho da revista Maganews.

Foto –  Divulgação

Outros áudios (em inglês) do CD que acompanha a edição de junho da revista Maganews:

Maísa:  ups and downs on TV (Michelle Robinson)

Maísa: too much too soon? (Thiago Ribeiro)

Susan Boyle:  a lesson in life (Michelle Robinson)

The world watches South Africa (Thiago Ribeiro)

South Africa – safaris and outstanding natural beauty (Thiago Ribeiro)

First the Moon, then Mars! (Michelle)

Man on the Moon: 40 years on (Thiago)

A brief history of the space race (Michelle)

Ice Age 3 – Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Michelle)

Carrots: healthy options (Thiago)

Excess soda intake harms your health (Michelle)

Children’s book tells the Chico Mendes story (Thiago)

Music - The Pussycat Dolls on a roll (Michelle)

Television – “A Fazenda”: Hard life in the country  (Michelle)

Jokes – (Michelle e Thiago)

 

Vocabulary

1 stage – palco

2 wherever – em qualquer lugar

3 to play – tocar (gig = show)

4 chatted (from the verb to chat) – conversou

5 just before – pouco antes

6 good mood – bom-humor

7 fine trim – ótima forma

8 to rehearse – ensaiar / “passar o som”

9 stood up – ficou em pé (to stand up = ficar em pé)

10 rest for a while – descansar um pouco

11 to remain on his feet up – permanecer em pé

12 no signs of being tired – nenhum sinal de cansaço

13 UN – ONU

14 what is left – o que falta

15 dreams to fulfill – sonhos a conquistar

16 as long as I have – enquanto eu tiver

17 to keep on – continuar / prosseguir