Gilberto Gil’s solo performance on Saturday was truly a treat. He has painted so many pictures for us, using just his voice and his acoustic guitar. By this simple setup, he made Hill Auditorium feel much more intimate. Listening to his music brought the audience members together — regardless of how much knowledge of Portuguese or Brazilian culture we had.
Walking into the seats of Hill Auditorium, I was struck by how the stage looked. The first thing that I saw was a black curtain draping over the majestic pipe organ. In the middle of the stage was a simple audio setup with a hookup for guitar, a stool, and a mic stand. That’s it. I’ve seen similar setup at The Ark or something, but not at Hill! This was truly a change from what I was used to.
Then, Gilberto Gil came on stage, and immediately engaged us in his music — using his voice and guitar to convey all the characters his repertoire had. Many were original songs written by Gil himself, while others were borrowed from other masters. His voice was smooth and calming at times, and exciting and colorful at other times.
Gil drew the audience to a more intimate experience, up until the very last minute of his performance. I was excited to see many audience members with Brazilian heritage — including one of the audience members a few rows before me that had two mini Brazilian flags, which she proudly waved towards the stage at the end of the performance. People sang along to what apparently was a very famous song in Brazil (too bad I couldn’t join in…), creating a sense of camaraderie in such a big auditorium. I was reminded once again that music has the power to connect many people.
