Dutch politicians are not known for their musicality, although Mark Rutte seems to play the piano quite well. How different is that in Brazil, where a culture minister released more than thirty albums. That minister was Gilberto Gil. In 2008, after five years in politics, Gil decided to return to music. After an acoustic tour with his son Bem, Gil is back in his familiar element at Fé Na Festa.
Gil's music is a colorful mixture of soul, jazz, rock and the forró from his native Bahia. He's 68 when this album comes out, but the zest and swing are still there. Gil seems to have saved up all his good ideas over the past five years. Fé Na Festa can compete with his work from the 1970s. Gil's departure may be a loss to politics, but the music lover takes full advantage of it. (PdK)more
